Drapatyi has assumed duties of Commander-in-Chief of AFU

According to Ukrinform, Drapatiy announced this on Facebook. 

“I have assumed the duties of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Major General Ihor Skybiuk, former commander of the Airborne Forces, will serve as Chief of the General Staff on my team. I thank the President of Ukraine for supporting this decision,” Drapatyi emphasized.

He noted that he met Skybiuk in 2022 in southern Ukraine, when they were directing the operation to liberate the Kherson region from a single command post.

“Since then, I have known him as a commander who can be trusted in difficult circumstances and whose decisions, experience, and personal principles can be relied upon. During his command of the Airborne Forces, strong commanders have emerged, including Oleh Apostol, Dmytro Voloshyn, Yevhen Lasiychuk, Sviatoslav Zayets, Emil Ishkulov, Andriy Tkachuk, and many others,” the commander-in-chief added.

Drapatyi emphasized that difficult work lies ahead, so he will proceed without making grandiose promises, taking responsibility for his decisions and showing respect for the people who are holding the front lines and helping Ukraine stand firm.

“The President of Ukraine has set clear tasks for us—to continue and intensify offensive operations in all domains, plan new operations behind enemy lines, develop the military and its technologies, and build up the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the commander-in-chief noted.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Major General Ihor Skybiuk will become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The day before, Zelenskyy announced that Mykhailo Drapatyi would become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decree on his appointment has not yet been made public.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky, Facebook