Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed Ukraine's new commander in chief on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP
Anxious after the shock removal of Ukraine's reformist defense minister, the country's front-line troops say that they've found some solace in a new appointment for another key war role — commander in chief.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed 43-year-old Brig. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as the country's new top general on Tuesday.For many in Ukraine, the appointment is a monumental shift. Drapatyi is replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi, an older general who joined the military when Ukraine was still a Soviet republic.Syrskyi, 60, has overseen many of Ukraine's victories since early 2024 but has been widely accused of resisting change and sticking to a slower, top-down command style that can cost lives in battle.Ukrainian troops across the front lines celebrated Drapatyi's new appointment, telling Business Insider they anticipate the young general to quickly bring much-needed reforms that could turn the tide of the war in their favor.One Ukrainian uncrewed ground vehicle operator told Business Insider that while he feels that Syrskyi has "undoubtedly entered the history of Ukraine as the general who stopped the Russian offensive at the most difficult moment for the state," he has sincere hope "that General Mykhailo Drapatyi will go down in history as the general who won a victory over Russia."Many see Drapatyi, who's had a string of high-profile victories and a reputation for stabilizing warzones under Russian pressure, as the ideal working partner for Mykhailo Fedorov, who was defense minister until recently. Both are seen as drivers of radical change in a military structure that has dysfunctionally struggled to fully leverage innovation and exploit Russia's weaknesses.
