7 days ago
Zelensky reshuffles military leadership following Russian strike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made changes at the top of the military leadership.
He said in his evening video message on Tuesday that the previous army chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, has been relieved of organizational tasks such as mobilization, training and preparation of recruits.
"Drapatyi will focus exclusively on combat issues and has been appointed Commander of the Joint Forces – so that he can concentrate on the front 100%," Zelensky said.
The reduction in his responsibilities was preceded by a fatal Russian missile attack on a military training ground in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Drapatyi himself had offered his resignation via Telegram two days ago as a consequence of the fiasco, in which he said 12 soldiers were killed and dozens were injured. However, the 42-year-old is considered one of Ukraine's most capable generals.
Most recently, he stabilized the situation in front of the embattled city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Observers believe that Zelensky did not want to forgo his leadership qualities at the front.
Additionally, Zelensky appointed Oleh Apostol as the head of the paratrooper troops and Robert Brovdi as the head of the drone troops.
Vadym Sukharevskyi is to modernize the entire command structure as the new deputy commander of the Eastern Army Group, said Zelensky.
Ukraine is under severe pressure at the front in the ongoing Russian invasion, which has lasted more than three years.
Politically, Zelensky called for further sanctions to be imposed on Russia following its missile strike on Sumy, in which four civilians were killed and about 30 injured. He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not change his tactics unless he was put under greater pressure.
