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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Ihor Skybiuk as chief of the General Staff on Wednesday as part of a wider wartime reshuffle of the country’s military and government leadership.
Zelenskyy said he selected Skybiuk together with newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and acting Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara.
“He is a highly experienced officer who defended Ukraine shoulder to shoulder with the new Commander-in-Chief,” Zelenskyy said on the U.S. social media platform X.
The president later signed decrees dismissing former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and former Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov and formally appointing Drapatyi and Skybiuk to their new positions.
Zelenskyy said it was important for all branches of Ukraine’s armed forces to continue operating in full coordination.
He added that decisions had also been made on how Syrskyi and Hnatov would continue contributing to the country’s defense, although he provided no further details.
The appointments are part of a major wartime reshuffle involving Ukraine’s military and government. The changes also included the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that led to widespread protests in the country.
Khmara officially became acting defense minister Monday, while Drapatyi replaced Syrskyi, who had served as commander-in-chief since February 2024.
In an evening address Tuesday, Zelenskyy credited Syrskyi with delivering results during the defense of Kyiv, the Kharkiv offensive and the Kursk operation.
“We have come a long way, Ukraine’s defense continues, and every warrior must be treated with dignity,” Zelenskyy said.
He thanked Syrskyi and Ukrainian troops for maintaining strong positions on the front and expressed gratitude to Drapatyi for sharing his vision.
Syrskyi confirmed his departure in a statement on Telegram earlier Wednesday, saying he had assumed command at a “very difficult time.”
He also listed several measures and reforms introduced during his tenure.
“I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the defense but is also in a state of attack—with initiative, with structure, and with people who know how to beat the enemy,” Syrskyi said.
“And I sincerely hope that this offensive will be continued,” he added.
Syrskyi claimed Ukrainian forces had regained control of 743 square kilometers, or 286 square miles, of territory in Ukraine since the beginning of the year.
The decrees dismissing Syrskyi and Hnatov and appointing Drapatyi and Skybiuk were later published on the website of Ukraine’s Presidential Office.
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