Zelensky announced that Major General Drapaty, the Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, will lead the "Khortytsia" Joint Task Force.

This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The head of state explained that "Khortytsia" is engaged in the "most intense" combat areas.

At the same time, Drapaty will retain his authority as the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“…and this will help combine the army's combat work with proper brigade training. It is the frontline needs that should determine the standards for staffing and training brigades,” Zelensky wrote.

Major General Andriy Hnatov has been appointed to the General Staff as Deputy Chief. His task is to elevate the training level of operational staffs and enhance cooperation between the staffs and the front.

“We discussed these and some other changes with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi — tasks have been set at all levels,” Zelensky stated.

We remind you that the OSHV "Khortytsia" is responsible for the front line near the village of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region. The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade reported that Ukrainian defenders retreated from areas where there was a threat of encirclement.

What is known about Drapaty?

In November, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapaty as the new commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He is known, among other things, for his participation in the liberation of occupied Mariupol in 2014.

In March 2022, he led the defense of Kryvyi Rih, where the occupiers were halted and the frontline stabilized. Subsequently, Brigadier General Drapaty headed the operational group "Kherson" and was one of the commanders leading the liberation of the right bank of the Kherson region.

In February 2024, Drapaty was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In May, amid the Russian troops’ offensive in the northern Kharkiv region, he also became the commander of the operational-tactical grouping of forces "Kharkiv," replacing Yuriy Halushkin.