Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Major General Ihor Skybyuk as chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces as part of a major overhaul of the country’s military leadership.
The decision follows the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.
“We determined the order of further steps,” Zelensky said after the announcement. “Today, decisions regarding the replacement of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be formalized — the relevant decrees are being prepared.”
“Together with Mykhailo Drapatyi and Yevhenii Khmara, we determined that the new chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Major General Ihor Skybyuk — a very experienced military officer, with whom the new commander-in-chief defended Ukraine side by side.”
Zelensky said the new command structure must ensure that every part of the military continues to operate as a unified force. “It is important that all components of our army continue to function absolutely cohesively,” he said.
The president added that decisions had also been made on how Syrskyi would continue serving Ukraine’s defense, although he did not disclose his future position.
Zelensky said discussions with the new leadership covered the development of Ukraine’s cyber forces, troop training, military mobilization, strengthening frontline units, and expanding the corps system.
“The priority for the real ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to carry out defense tasks is a practical, effective mobilization process,” he said.
The military changes follow a wider cabinet reshuffle that prompted protests across Ukraine, particularly over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Fedorov had been praised for revitalizing the ministry, modernizing the armed forces and leading efforts against corruption. Rumors that his removal was linked to a dispute with Syrskyi were later confirmed. Syrskyi was widely regarded as a traditional Soviet-school commander who was reluctant to implement more radical military reforms.
In a farewell address, Syrskyi defended his record and said the army he was leaving behind was in a stronger position than when he took command.
“An army that was fighting a difficult defensive campaign two years ago is now on the offensive,” he wrote on Telegram. “I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the line but is advancing. I sincerely hope this offensive will continue.”
Drapatyi, a battle-hardened general who is popular within the armed forces, pledged to lead with discipline and respect for Ukrainian troops.
“I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today,” he said. He also thanked Syrskyi “for his consistent work to strengthen the Ukrainian army,” adding: “I grew up in it.”
After days of street protests over Federov’s dismissal, the president also said he had met Fedorov and offered him a “worthy position in power,” but did not reveal whether the former defense minister had accepted.
Fedorov was replaced by Yevhenii Khmara, a former senior official in Ukraine’s Security Service.
