On the 1,609th day of full-scale war, Ukraine is entering a phase of deep modernization of the management of the Defense Forces. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his channel a large-scale personnel reshuffle aimed not just at changing faces, but at completely renewing the defense strategy in the field of the Ministry of Defense and technological improvement of the state to put pressure on the aggressor.
New Commander-in-Chief: Focus on Combat Experience and Modernization
A key decision on July 21 was the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post and the appointment of Mykhailo Drapaty as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This appointment is accompanied by an update of the configuration of the General Staff, which includes new experienced combat commanders, including Yevheniy Khmara and Pavlo Palisa .
The President expressed gratitude to Oleksandr Syrsky for his significant achievements, including the defense of Kyiv, the successful Kharkiv offensive operation, and the operation in the Kursk region. However, the emphasis is now shifting to:
- Institutional transfer of affairs to stimulate the end of the war and the continuity of technological combat operations.
- Reform of the corps system , which should increase the efficiency of military command.
Proposal from the President: a new role for Mikhail Fedorov
In parallel with the military changes, it is planned to strengthen the technological block. The President offered Mikhail Fedorov a new technical position in the state, which should unite the entire technological component of the army. According to the President, this decision is dictated by the new minister who has already been appointed, and by the separate need to synchronize combat needs with innovative developments.
Special attention is paid to the new minister due to the integration of his successful experience as a manager, in particular his technological achievements ( Operation Web ) and the “deep strikes” of the Alpha unit , into the overall army system. The security competence of the acting Minister of Defense Yevheniy Khmara, according to President Zelensky, will also become an important part of this updated system.
Priorities of the “new defense strategy”
It is planned that the new Commander-in-Chief, Mykhailo Drapatiy, together with his team, will present an updated defense strategy, which will be based on several critical areas:
- The program of “middle strikes” and long-range sanctions: Clear implementation of plans for strikes on strategic enemy targets.
- Providing the front: Maximum satisfaction of combat commanders’ requests for drones, weapons, and modern equipment.
- Sky protection: Strengthening air defense to maximize the closure of the territory from Russian strikes.
- Mobilization Transparency: Creating a realistic and understandable vision of the mobilization process.
The way to force Russia to peace
The main goal of these transformations is to bring Ukraine to a new level of military strength and technology. The President emphasized that the combination of the combat experience of the new commanders and technological development should create conditions at the front that will force Russia to an immediate just peace.
“We all have one desire – victory over the enemy,” Zelenskyy noted, announcing the formalization of all decisions in the near future.
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