On July 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed a new commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. he became Major General Mykhailo Drapaty.
Points of attention
- Mykhailo Drapaty has extensive military experience and has led important operations in eastern Ukraine.
- The appointment of Drapaty as the new commander aims to increase the fighting capacity of the Ukrainian army and introduce innovative management approaches.
- Drapaty played significant roles in leading battalions and brigades, including operations in the right bank of the Kherson region.
- President Zelenskyy's strategy to improve the effectiveness and readiness of the Ukrainian army includes appointing Drapaty to lead the Ground Forces.
- Key tasks for Major General Drapaty include enhancing combat capability, training military personnel, and improving management practices within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Major General Drapaty headed the Ground Forces of the AFU
According to Zelensky, today he listened to the report of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi regarding the situation at the front and in the areas of the Kursk operation.
Also, together with the Chief of Staff, several personnel decisions were made for our army. Mykhailo Drapaty was appointed as the new commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Oleg Apostol was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine
The President noted that currently the main task is to increase the combat capability of our army. It is also necessary to ensure the quality of training of military personnel and to introduce innovative approaches to managing people in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
What is known about Mykhailo Drapatoy
In 2014, Drapaty was the commander of the 2nd mechanized battalion of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade. And since April of the same year, the 72nd OMBr was in full force in the east of Ukraine.
Under his command, the 2nd battalion of the 72nd OMBr entered Mariupol in May 2014. Mykhailo Drapaty was in the first BMP that broke through the militants' checkpoint.
In 2016, he was appointed commander of the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade (with headquarters in Konotop, Sumy region). Since the summer of 2017, Drapatiy has been in the area of anti-terrorist operation, where he managed the operations of the 58th Military Police Brigade in the area of the Bakhmut highway.
In 2019, he began a two-year course as a student at the National Defense University of Ukraine named after Ivan Chernyakhovsky. Until 2024, he headed the operational group "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. And in May, he was appointed commander of Kharkiv OTU.
The corresponding decrees on the dismissal of Oleksandr Pavlyuk and the appointment of Drapatoy to his position have already appeared on the website of the Office of the President. It will be recalled that Pavlyuk headed this position from February 2024, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.
