Zelensky has appointed Drapaty as the new commander of the Ground Forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed a new commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new commander is Mykhailo Drapaty.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine referring to the president's Telegram channel.

According to Zelensky, he listened to a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi regarding the situation on the front lines and in the areas of the Kursk operation.

"Together with the commander, we also made several personnel decisions for our army. Mykhailo Drapaty has been appointed as the new commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Oleg Apostol has been appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces," Zelensky wrote.

The president emphasized that the main task now is to enhance the combat readiness of our army. It is also essential to ensure the quality of military training and to implement innovative approaches to personnel management in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

What is known about Mykhailo Drapaty

In 2014, Drapaty was the commander of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. By April of the same year, the entire 72nd Brigade was deployed in eastern Ukraine. Under his command, the 2nd Battalion of the 72nd Brigade entered Mariupol in May 2014.

Photo: Mykhailo Drapaty (facebook_com_MinistryofDefence_UA)

In 2016, he was appointed commander of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade (with headquarters in Konotop, Sumy Oblast). From the summer of 2017, Drapaty was in the ATO zone, where he led the actions of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade in the Bakhmut highway area.

In 2019, he began a two-year course at the National Defense University of Ukraine named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi. Until 2024, he headed the operational grouping "Kherson."

He is known as one of the commanders who led the liberation of the right bank of the Kherson region. In February 2024, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In May, he was appointed commander of the Joint Forces Operation "Kharkiv" in early April 2024.

Relevant decrees regarding the dismissal of Oleksandr Pavliuk and the appointment of Drapaty to his position have already appeared on the website of the President's Office. Recall that Pavliuk held this position since February 2024, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.