The new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mijailo Drapati, has assumed leadership of the Army this Wednesday, avoiding making "big promises" in the face of the "difficult task" ahead. His priorities include maintaining ongoing military operations and strengthening the capabilities of the Ukrainian forces.
Drapati has expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, for the trust placed in him and has revealed who will occupy the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces: Ihor Skibiuk, until now commander of the Air Assault Forces.
"I know him as a commander who can be trusted in difficult circumstances and in whose decisions, experience, and internal principles trust can be placed," he noted, referring to the joint work they have carried out since 2022 to "liberate" the region of Kherson.
"WITHOUT BIG PROMISES"
Drapati has insisted that the "difficult task" ahead prevents him from making "big promises," although he has committed to acting "responsibly" and to respecting "the people who maintain the front and help Ukraine resist," as he stated in a message shared on his social media.
"The president of Ukraine has set us clear tasks: to continue and strengthen offensive actions in all domains, to plan new operations in the enemy's rear, to develop the Army and its technologies, and to increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the new military chief specified.
MEETING WITH ZELENSKI
On the same Wednesday, Zelenski met with the renewed military leadership, as part of the restructuring initiated with the dismissal a few days ago of the former Minister of Defense, Mijailo Fedorov, whose deep disagreements with Drapati's predecessor, Oleksandr Sirski, precipitated the changes.
In the meeting participated Drapati and Skibiuk, as well as Sirski himself and the former head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Andrii Hnatov, to whom Zelenski has guaranteed a place "in the future" in the "protection" of the State. The new Minister of Defense, Yevheni Jmara, was also present.
On the table is the expansion of long-range operations against Russia and the boost of cooperation with Ukraine's international partners regarding armament and air defense programs, including the FREYJA plan, as well as the production of Patriot missiles, after the United States has authorized the necessary licenses to manufacture them in Ukrainian territory.
In a separate meeting between Jmara and Drapati, the Defense Minister explained that they addressed the need to "be honest with each other and resolve all discrepancies for the benefit of Ukrainian soldiers," marking a distance from the dynamic that, according to reports, had prevailed until now.
According to Jmara, the first joint steps will focus on strengthening the technological capabilities of the Armed Forces, intensifying long-range attacks, improving the conditions of soldiers on the front, and, as much as possible, bringing the conflict to deeper areas of Russian territory.