Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief General Mykhailo Drapatyi has fired the Ground Forces Chief of Staff in charge of logistics, General Hruzevych, in his first major personnel move since taking command on July 21. The dismissal signals Drapatyi’s intent to restructure the military’s command hierarchy and address long-standing supply chain problems.
Hruzevych had served as Deputy Commander of the Land Forces with responsibility for logistics, a position that placed him at the center of day-to-day military operations. Drapatyi cited the general’s hindrance of critical decision-making processes as the primary reason for his removal, according to a statement reported by the New Voice of Ukraine.
The firing came just days after Drapatyi ordered a comprehensive audit of combat unit staffing and manpower allocation, announced by the General Staff on July 29. That audit is examining whether soldiers are distributed fairly across Ukraine’s brigades, after years of criticism that some units are starved of recruits while others are overstaffed with little combat role.
Under Drapatyi’s predecessor Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine faced persistent complaints about disproportionate diversion of mobilized recruits to newly formed brigades and assault units. Critics said these units were widely ineffective and notorious for abuse, violence, and wasteful attacks, draining manpower from frontline formations that needed reinforcements most urgently.
Drapatyi, 43, was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following mass street protests in Kyiv and other cities demanding Syrskyi’s removal. Zelenskyy described the change as a reset of Ukraine’s defense strategy, tasking Drapatyi with modernizing the army’s command structure and presenting updated plans for air defense, drone deliveries, and mobilization.
The dismissal of Hruzevych, combined with the staffing audit, suggests Drapatyi is moving quickly to reshape the military leadership before the political window for reform narrows. Military analysts noted that logistics reform has been one of the most pressing and politically sensitive issues within Ukraine’s armed forces, with supply bottlenecks frequently cited as a factor limiting frontline operations.
The moves also come at a delicate moment on the battlefield, with Russian forces making slow but steady territorial gains in the Donbas region. Ukrainian commanders will need to balance the disruption of leadership changes with the immediate demands of holding positions along multiple contested fronts.
Sources: Daily Kos, New Voice of Ukraine, Kyiv Independent
Author: Ukraine Desk
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