Mykhailo Drapatyi remakes Ukraine’s army command

The shift in leadership style is palpable among front-line units, where officers describe a newfound sense of autonomy. Under Syrskyi, command often reached down to the level of specific coordinates, leaving little room for field-level initiative. Drapatyi has reversed this, focusing instead on systemic analysis and broader war objectives while tasking regional commanders with tactical execution. This approach has already led to practical adjustments, such as the redeployment of the 7th Corps to the Zaporizhzhia region after it had been sidelined on the Belarusian border.

Personnel changes are central to this transition. Drapatyi is actively promoting younger officers who proved their mettle in combat, while moving older, Soviet-school staff into training or retirement. Figures like 35-year-old Denys Prokopenko and 39-year-old Emil Ishkulov have been placed in critical command roles, signaling a departure from the previous administration's preference for rigid seniority. Beyond immediate battlefield management, the command is currently drafting a long-term grand strategy intended to define Ukraine’s military objectives for the coming decades, marking a significant step toward institutionalizing the army’s evolution.