Ukraine has a new military commander but will it matter? More than four years into the war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replaced the country’s top general in one of the biggest leadership shakeups since the invasion began. In this article, we’ll break down why the change happened, examine the successes and failures of the previous commanders, and explore whether a new leader can reverse Ukraine’s battlefield fortunes. Because while Western support continues to flow, Ukraine is facing a problem that no shipment of weapons can solve: a shrinking pool of available soldiers.
2022 – 2024 Commander
Initially when the war started Valerii Zaluzhnyi was the one in charge with some of his biggest accomplishments including defending Kyiv, the Kharkiv Counteroffensive, Liberation of Kherson, and of course modernizing the army. As much as he did a great job at dealing with one of the worst situations possible he had some failures including the 2023 counteroffensive, failing to understand Russia’s strong defense, and his growing rift with Zelenskyy (mainly due to the messaging that the ware has entered a stalemate).
He was ultimately replaced following the disappointing 2023 counteroffensive and an increasingly public strategic disagreement with President Zelenskyy.
2024 – 2026 Commander
Now Oleksandr Syrskyi was not new to the battlefield as some of his accomplishments included Zaluzhnyi. For example, Syrskyi commanded the defense in Kyiv (2022) and was an architect of the Kharkiv Offensive. Additionally, one of his achievements included the stabilization of the front from 2025 to 2026 even with ammunition shortages, delayed Western aid, manpower shortages, and increasing Russian pressure.
Some analysts view the Kursk offensive as one of Syrskyi’s accomplishments, while others argue it diverted valuable manpower from defending eastern Ukraine.
Now Syrskyi as a Commander came with some failures including a major loss of territory between 2024 to 2025, high casualties, his centralized strategy, and his dispute with reformers including Fedorov. Fedorov wanted to modernize the military with drone integration, decentralization, procurement, and wanted to focus on military technologies while Syrskyi was often criticized for relying on a more centralized, Soviet influenced command structure.
Protests
Protests began after disputes between the military commander Syrskyi and the defense minister Fedorov contributed to the dismissal of Fedorov as the defense minister. It occurred on July 16 with protests beginning almost immediately upon hearing the news. This begs the question to why people were so upset about the decision and how this could have influenced Zelenskyy’s decision to remove Syrskyi.
Well since 2022 there has been a mostly unified Ukraine meaning that these protests happened under martial law. That’s serious whether you want to look at it like this or not. These protests began in Kyiv but spread to many major cities such as Lviv and Dnipro. The protests grew to thousands within a few days causing Zelenskyy to publicly acknowledge that his Military Commander and Defense Minister did not get along.
These protests were not only about Zelenskyy, the military commander, or the defense minister. These protests were about the loss of Ukrainian lives, mobilization failures, casualties, and the direction of the war. Additionally, Fedorov was the 35 year old who helped modernize the military and contributed to Ukraine’s biggest advantage right now which is drone warfare.
Future Commander
Now everyone is kind of curious to whether or not this new commander is going to actually influence the war positively. The Ukraine people are strong, resilient, courageous, and resourceful during this time of war in their own country. However, everyone and everything has their limit which makes people curious if the limit is closing in on their people.
So, who is the new guy? Mykhailo Drapatyi is a 43 year old with 26 years of military service. Pretty insane. His biggest accomplishments include fighting successfully in the battle of Mariupol, getting trapped in Russia’s borders and pushing 40 kilometers back into Ukrainian territory with minimal losses, and helping stop Russia’s 2024 Kharkiv offensive. He seems fit to be a military commander who will take accountability.
The biggest problems he faces at this point in time is expectations are really high to turn things around as Ukraine has recently lost Pokrovsk and faces increasing pressure around Kostiantynivka. Manpower remains the biggest obstacle. From his previous victories in the challenges against Russia, many are hopeful that this Military Commander can potentially change the tide of the war.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, changing a military commander is far easier than changing the realities on the battlefield. Mykhailo Drapatyi brings decades of experience, a reputation for accountability, and a leadership style that many believe is better suited for the next phase of the war. Those qualities may improve coordination, increase the effectiveness of drone operations, and boost morale within the ranks.
However, commanders do not fight wars alone. Ukraine still faces serious manpower shortages, while Russia maintains larger reserves of personnel and continues to expand its defense industry. Even the best battlefield decisions cannot fully overcome a lack of soldiers or sustained logistical challenges.
Whether Drapatyi ultimately succeeds will likely depend on more than his leadership. Continued Western support, Ukraine’s ability to recruit and train new personnel, technological innovation, and Russia’s own military performance will all play major roles in shaping the outcome of the conflict.
One thing is certain: the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi marks a new chapter in Ukraine’s war effort. The question now is whether a change in leadership can produce meaningful results or whether the decisive factors have already shifted beyond the control of any single commander. You can find out more on the complexities of this war in our other article.