Volodymyr Zelensky made personnel changes in the Armed Forces amid the rapid advance of the Russian army in Donbas. Major General Mykhailo Drapaty was appointed as the new Commander of the Ground Forces, and Colonel Oleh Apostol became the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the President announced.
"Major General Mykhailo Drapaty successfully organized the defense in the Kharkiv direction and disrupted the Russian forces' offensive operation. Colonel Oleh Apostol is an experienced commander of the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. Both have proven their effectiveness in combat," Zelensky noted.
The reshuffle was coordinated with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The President added that the main task of the new commanders would be to enhance the combat readiness of the army, ensure quality training for the military, and implement innovative approaches to personnel management in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "The Ukrainian army needs internal changes to fully achieve the goals of our state," Zelensky emphasized.
Before Drapaty, General Lieutenant Oleksandr Pavliuk served as the Commander of the Ground Forces, having been appointed in February 2024. He replaced Syrskyi in this position.
In February 2024, Drapaty was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and on May 13, he became the commander of the operational-tactical grouping of forces "Kharkiv." The military described him as "very effective," prioritizing the preservation of personnel and paying attention to every detail, even to the weapons of individual soldiers. In May, the Russian army attempted an offensive on Kharkiv, which failed, in part due to Drapaty’s actions, as he effectively utilized the reserves allocated to him. Now, the command hopes that Major General Drapaty will improve the difficult situation in eastern Ukraine.
After the Ukrainian Armed Forces deployed some of their best units for the operation in the Kursk region in August, the Russian army began to make gains in Donbas. According to monitoring resources, the pace of their advance in autumn became the fastest since the beginning of the invasion. By mid-November, Russia had captured nearly 600 km², equivalent to half the size of London. From November 18 to 24, it seized almost 235 km², a weekly record for 2024. The previous record was set in late October, when Russian forces captured 196 km².
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the primary objective of the army remained Donbas, where "the enemy weakened itself" by moving reserves to the Kursk region. By November, Russia had taken over more than 67,000 km² of Ukraine. Including Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which were held by Moscow-loyal separatists before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian troops currently control 18.2% of Ukrainian territory.
