Category: Tweets – Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) / Twitter

Syrskyi is out, and Drapatyi is in.

While this leadership change re-energizes Ukrainian society, anyone hoping for quick or painless solutions is missing the bigger picture.

Drapatyi’s appointment as Commander-in-Chief is a strong move for Ukraine. He is extremely competent, deeply respected by both the military and civil society, and possesses the strategic-level background needed for supreme command, having served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Commander of the Ground Forces, and Commander of the Joint Forces.

Drapatyi taking command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces is a necessary step for morale, but we need to talk honestly about Oleksandr Syrskyi’s legacy without falling into black-and-white thinking.

In life, perception shapes reality. Syrskyi possessed decades of military experience and was behind major victories, from the defense of Kyiv and the Izium breakthrough to the Kursk operation. He was also instrumental in establishing the Unmanned Systems Forces and appointing Madyar as its commander. However, fair assessment was often drowned out by immense public controversy and poor communication, which also severely harmed mobilization efforts. Syrskyi made several mistakes, and his leadership and communication style undermined his popularity.

Drapatyi brings what Syrskyi could not: high public trust and strong morale. This gives Ukraine a second wind at a crucial moment.

What will likely change, at least partially, is the internal culture. A leadership that commands popular trust can drive deeper structural reforms, dismantle outdated Soviet-style centralization, prioritize competence over loyalty, and focus heavily on technological innovation to reduce manpower needs on the front and save lives.

Yet, the core challenges of this war remain unchanged. The Commander-in-Chief position is inherently brutal. It demands making unpopular choices about mobilization, allocating scarce resources, ordering tactical withdrawals, and launching risky offensives. It is hard to remain popular in that role for long.

Drapatyi will have to navigate a harsh winter, chronic shortages of air defense systems and interceptor missiles, an infantry deficit, and the likelihood of expanded Russian mobilization. No general, no matter how gifted or popular, can eliminate these bottlenecks overnight.

This shift gives Ukraine a fresh start and presents a major setback for Russian hopes of demoralizing the public, but a clean slate is an opportunity, not a guarantee.

The war will last for years, and Drapatyi and his team, alongside Ukraine’s government, need time, support, and unity. Switching commanders in the middle of an intense war is never simple, but the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi provides a critical opening that Ukraine desperately needed

— @joni_askola Jul 22, 2026