Ukraine Appoints General Mykhailo Drabati as New Army Commander

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the appointment of the young General Mykhailo Drabati, currently commander of the joint forces, as the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. This move represents the most significant shift in the country's military leadership since the conflict with Russia entered its fifth year.

General Mykhailo Drabati, aged 43, is among the youngest generals and is frequently described as embodying a new generation of military leaders who have developed their careers during the ongoing war with Russia.

This leadership change follows Zelensky's dismissal last week of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, aged 35, known for pioneering innovative methods in technology and recruitment but who had disagreements with other members of Ukraine’s defense establishment, including Serhiy Sirskiy.

Since the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Drabati's name has been linked to some of the most challenging battlefields and engagements, ranging from the battles of Mariupol and the Izvarine cauldron to fighting in the south, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.

General Drabati is recognized as a combatant and a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, having participated in fighting against Russian forces and Moscow-backed separatists since 2014.

Born on November 21, 1982, in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region, Drabati graduated in 2004 from the Kharkiv Tank Forces Institute. He then began his service in the 72nd Independent Mechanized Brigade.

In 2014, Drabati commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 72nd Independent Mechanized Brigade, which was fully engaged in combat operations in eastern Ukraine, with its units stationed around Mariupol.

On May 9 of that year, Drabati led his battalion into the city aboard an armored vehicle to reinforce units after an attempt by occupying forces to seize a police station, aiming to replicate the scenario of the Sloviansk takeover.

Drabati studied at the Ukrainian National Defense University and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His field training was brief as he transitioned to distance learning and returned to the military operations zone.

In August 2016, he was appointed commander of the 58th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, which was then deployed in the Donetsk region. Drabati led operations along the Bakhmut highway area starting in July 2017.

In April 2019, Drabati was promoted to colonel ahead of schedule. In August of the same year, he began studies as a student at the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine.

He earned the title of "best graduate" at the operational-strategic level of his training. During the graduation ceremony, British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons awarded him the "Queen’s Sword."

This event caused a significant stir in Russia, which opened a criminal case against Drabati in 2016 and attempted to portray the British diplomatic recognition of a Ukrainian officer as an insult.

As a colonel, Drabati faced the Russian war serving as deputy commander of the joint forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces responsible for training troops but was soon transferred directly to one of the most dangerous areas—the south of Ukraine.

In that region, Russian forces achieved considerable advances, rapidly moving from the Crimean Peninsula to Kherson and aiming to expand their gains by threatening Mykolaiv and Kryvyi Rih.

Drabati was among the commanders involved in liberating the Kherson region on the right bank of the Dnipro River, which divides the city and region of Kherson in Ukraine, in the autumn of 2022. He headed the Kherson tactical operations group.

In February 2024, Drabati was appointed deputy chief of the general staff for military training but did not remain long in this position.

He later moved to another high-risk area, leading the special operations command in Luhansk, responsible for the front line extending from Bilohorivka in Luhansk to the Donetsk region.

On October 5, 2024, Brigadier General Drabati was promoted to the rank of major general. He is also a recipient of the "Knight of Bohdan Khmelnytsky" order, holds the title of "People's Hero of Ukraine," and has received other decorations.

On November 29, 2024, Drabati was appointed as the new commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Concurrently, on January 26, 2025, he was assigned to lead the "Khortytsia" tactical operations group.

Later, on October 20, 2025, Drabati took command of the newly established joint forces group responsible for the front in the Kharkiv region.

According to media reports, Brigadier General Drabati was one of 11 potential candidates for the position of supreme commander, with some sources indicating he was the frontrunner.

Ultimately, on July 21, President Zelensky decided that Drabati would assume this role.