Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed Ukraine's new commander in chief on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP
Mykhailo Drapatyi, one of Ukraine's youngest generals, is now the country's commander in chief, following the sacking of his predecessor, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on Tuesday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed the 43-year-old Drapatyi after days of mass protests over the dismissal of the country's defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.Thousands had gathered last week in Kyiv and other major cities to call for the reinstatement of the 35-year-old Fedorov, seen as a champion of the direly needed modernization of Ukraine's military.Their demands included the firing of Syrskyi, who oversaw several major victories against Russia but is criticized as an old-guard, Soviet-style leader who blocked needed change and reportedly clashed with Fedorov, leading to the young minister's removal.Conversely, Drapatyi is one of the war's most popular generals, belonging to a younger generation of officers who climbed the ranks while fighting Russia after its 2014 invasion of Crimea.The new military chief is widely regarded as a disciplined commander who defies the Ukrainian military's Soviet-rooted culture while pushing for tactical innovation, drone warfare, recruiting reforms, and accountability among leadership.Fedorov was publicly praised for doing the same, so pundits have often described the two as ideal partners for reshaping Ukraine's military into a more NATO-aligned, tech-savvy force capable of beating Moscow.
