Following political fallout over Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Thiếu tướng Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief on July 21, 2026, while rejecting calls to return Fedorov to government and navigating new friction between civil and military leadership.
The Dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov and the Strains of Wartime Governance
The political friction in Kiev intensified when President Volodymyr Zelensky defended the removal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. According to the reporting, the decision was aimed at ensuring the entire state apparatus operates efficiently during wartime rather than targeting any single individual.
Fedorov, aged 35, had earned strong support from the public and his advocates for driving defense reforms, modernizing procurement, and elevating Ukraine’s uncrewed aerial vehicle capabilities. Yet, his tenure coincided with deep-seated operational disagreements with the military leadership, notably former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, regarding the degree of reliance on drones and robotic systems.
President Zelensky explained that the friction between the Ministry of Defense and the armed forces command had become untenable without presidential intervention. As the Ukrainian leader noted during an interview, wartime realities leave no room for protracted stalemates between agencies.
I do not have time for such exchanges. Look, I do not have time to listen to this side and then that side, while the two sides are not ready to sit down with each other every day. Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, via Dantri
Following his removal, President Zelensky offered Fedorov the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Military Innovation. Fedorov turned down the offer, maintaining that he would not accept any government post other than the defense portfolio he previously held.
Street Protests and International Overtures
The removal of the defense minister triggered an immediate public backlash on the streets of the capital. Demonstrators gathered at Kiev’s central square carrying Ukrainian and European Union flags, chanting slogans demanding Fedorov’s reinstatement and voicing opposition to bureaucratic regression.
While domestic crowds protested the government’s shake-up, international recognition for the ousted official arrived from Rome. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto reached out directly to the former Ukrainian minister.
I called Mr. Fedorov the day after he was dismissed and said: When do you want to come to Rome to work with me as an advisor? Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defense of Italy, via Báo Tuổi Trẻ
Minister Crosetto praised Fedorov as a driving force behind military innovation who completely rewrote the rules of the game on the battlefield by leveraging new technologies to counter initial Russian offensives and reclaim tactical initiative.
The Rise of Thiếu tướng Mykhailo Drapatyi
As street demonstrations evolved into demands for broader military accountability, President Zelensky shifted the armed forces’ high command. On July 21, 2026, the president dismissed General Oleksandr Syrskyi and named Thiếu tướng Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief.
General Drapatyi, 43, first rose to prominence on May 9, 2014, when he commanded a 13-tonne armored vehicle that smashed through separatist barricades in Mariupol to relieve a besieged police station. Over the following decade, he built a reputation as a modern commander who prioritizes frontline personnel and technological integration.
Drapatyi is recognized as one of the key architects behind Ukraine’s drone defense network, an approach that establishes a lethal zone immediately behind the frontlines using reconnaissance drones, strike UAVs, and automated combat robots to reduce infantry casualties.
Immediate Priorities and Strategic Risks for the New Command
The new military leadership takes charge amid a complex operational landscape. According to analysis from Mick Ryan at the Lowy Institute, the primary hazard of leadership turnover is the potential instability it introduces while new commanders find their footing—a vulnerability Russian forces could attempt to exploit.
Despite administrative turbulence, Ukrainian forces maintain active operations across multiple axes. Kiev’s troops have reclaimed territory around Kupyansk in the northeast, slowed Russian advances elsewhere, and sustained medium and long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries, defense manufacturing sites, air defense networks, and logistics hubs.
With the occupied Crimean peninsula facing increasing isolation from persistent long-range interdiction, the immediate test for General Drapatyi and his civilian counterparts will be ensuring that internal restructuring does not disrupt the pace of combat operations or stall technological modernization at the front.
