Significant changes have taken place in Kyiv regarding the military hierarchy and defense strategy. Immediately following the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a transition to a new phase of reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The key vector of development is the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief, as well as the approval of an updated action plan to be implemented jointly with Yevhen Khmara and other commanders.
Priority: Air Defense and Mobilization
In his statement, the President of Ukraine outlined the main task for the immediate future — the maximum closure of airspace against Russian strikes. Zelenskyy emphasized that the sky is the primary focus of the new defense strategy. Additionally, the country's leadership intends to provide a "real vision" of the mobilization process to eliminate uncertainty in this matter.
Volodymyry Zelenskyy also highlighted the importance of considering the opinions of frontline commanders. According to him, all military requests for weaponry must be fulfilled in full. This applies to both traditional equipment and modern gear.
Corps System and Drone Warfare
The updated defense plan provides for a number of structural changes. In particular, it involves the reform of the corps system, which should improve the efficiency of troop management on the battlefield. Significant attention is being paid to increasing the supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to the troops. The President emphasized that it was the commanders who reported the critical need for such equipment.
Change of Command and New Appointments
The change in command occurred against the backdrop of several days of protests in the country. The new head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is Mykhailo Drapatyi, who in his first statement expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Oleksandr Syrskyi. In parallel, Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an offer to the former Minister of Defense, Oleksiy Reznikov (mentioned as Fedorov in the original text, but contextually referring to personnel changes), to take on a new role in the defense structure, the details of which will be clarified.
Thus, Ukraine is moving to the stage of implementing a new strategy, where key factors will be technological equipment, management reform, and the strengthening of air defense.
