Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi has commented on the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the Ukrainian military. He described the general as a man of honour and warned that the new position would be far more difficult than Drapatyi might imagine.
In his statement, Zaluzhnyi stressed that military service is based first and foremost on moral principles and values that shape a person’s honour.
“Honour is more precious than any position or award. It is honour that creates ideas and searches for ways to implement them,” the former commander-in-chief said.
According to Zaluzhnyi, these principles encourage people to seek out others who will share the burden of responsibility with honour. Those who think and act differently, he added, “will always face disgrace sooner or later.”
He separately addressed Mykhailo Drapatyi and warned about the difficulty of the tasks facing the new commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“It will be very difficult for the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Much more difficult than he imagines. However, Mykhailo will certainly never have reason to be ashamed,” Zaluzhnyi wrote.
He described Drapatyi as a man of honour whose main priority is his duty.
“A man of honour has no idol, so he has nothing to lose. The only thing he has is his duty,” the former commander-in-chief concluded.
Mykhailo Drapatyi’s appointment
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on the evening of July 21 that Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi would become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The president said that he and Drapatyi had already outlined immediate and medium-term priorities, while Ukraine’s defence operations and long-range strike programme should continue.
Drapatyi replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had led the Armed Forces of Ukraine since February 2024. After stepping down, Syrskyi said he was handing over an army that was not only holding the line but also conducting offensive operations in certain sectors of the front.
Before becoming commander-in-chief, Drapatyi commanded the Joint Forces. He was also appointed commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces in November 2024 and had previously led the defence of the Kharkiv sector.
Drapatyi took part in the liberation of Mariupol in 2014. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he led the defence of Kryvyi Rih, later commanded the Kherson operational grouping and was among the commanders involved in the operation to liberate the right-bank part of the Kherson region.
