Mykhailo Drapatyi has been made commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces. His appointment follows a cabinet reshuffle that ousted defense minister Fedorov.
On Tuesday (July 21), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Zelenskyy wants him to develop a modern defense strategy and to continue the recently launched military reforms.
This comes after an unexpected cabinet reshuffle last week. Many ministers have retained their posts under new Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi, but not former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had a major argument with former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi about the strategic direction that Ukraine's war effort should take.
The firing of the popular defense minister sparked outrage among parts of Ukraine's population. During mass protests, demonstrators not only demanded his return but also the dismissal of Syrskyi.
While the latter has now been removed from his post, Federov will not be returning. Zelenskyy has appointed Yevhen Khmara, who was previously head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), as the new defense minister.
