Significant personnel changes have taken place in the Ukrainian military leadership. The new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty, officially announced the formation of his team. The key position of Chief of the General Staff has been taken by Major General Ihor Skibiuk.
Personal trust and shared experience
The decision to appoint Skibiuk was not accidental. In his Facebook post, cited by RBC-Ukraine, Drapaty emphasized that their professional paths crossed back in 2022. At that time, both officers were in Southern Ukraine, where they jointly led the operation to liberate the Kherson region from a single command post.
"Since then, I have known him as a commander whom one can trust in difficult circumstances and rely on his decisions, experience, and inner principles," noted the new Commander-in-Chief. These words indicate that the choice of the new Chief of the General Staff is based on a long-term personal acquaintance and a proven combat reputation.
Commanders' School
Mykhailo Drapaty also drew attention to Ihor Skibiuk's contribution to the development of the army's personnel potential. It was precisely during Skibiuk's command of the Air Assault Forces (DSHV) that a generation of strong officers grew up. In his statement, the Commander-in-Chief listed the names of those who went through the school under Skibiuk's leadership: Oleg Apostol, Dmytro Voloshyn, Yevhen Lasiychuk, Sviatoslav Zayets, Emil Ishkulov, and Andriy Tkachuk.
On July 22, Drapaty officially assumed the duties of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, thanking the President of Ukraine for supporting his personnel decisions. The appointment of Skibiuk became one of the first and most important steps of the new army leadership.
