President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaces the country's top military commanders

2026, July 22

Ukraine

Ukraine has carried out one of its biggest wartime military leadership shake-ups, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replacing the country's top military commanders as Kyiv seeks to improve its battlefield performance and accelerate reforms while fighting Russia.

The key changes include:

Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, has been appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. Drapatyi is regarded as part of a younger generation of commanders with extensive frontline experience and a reputation for modernizing military operations.

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has also been replaced following political tensions over military reforms, although Zelenskyy has reportedly offered him another senior government role. Fedorov was widely credited with helping expand Ukraine's drone and defense technology capabilities.

Zelenskyy has instructed the new leadership to present an updated defense strategy focused on:

speeding up deliveries of weapons and drones,

strengthening air defenses,

continuing the military's transition to a corps-based command structure,

improving mobilization, and

making battlefield decision-making more efficient.

Why now?

The overhaul comes after:

weeks of political tensions and public protests,

continuing Russian missile and drone attacks,

pressure to improve recruitment and mobilization, and

a desire to modernize Ukraine's command structure as the war enters another year.

The Kremlin dismissed the reshuffle, saying it would not alter the situation on the front lines. However, Kyiv hopes that new leadership and faster implementation of reforms will improve military effectiveness against Russia's larger armed forces.