Oleksandr Syrskyi

Force in Play

As of July 2026: Dismissed July 21, 2026

Ukraine changed the general running its war. On July 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky named Mykhailo Drapatyi, a 43-year-old combat commander, to replace 60-year-old Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Updated Jul 22

Force in Play

As of July 2026: Directing the defense of the fortress belt

Russia says it holds Kostiantynivka. Ukraine says its troops are still fighting inside the city. On July 5, 2026, Russia's Defense Ministry offered a six-hour truce there for July 6 to hand back the bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers. Kyiv rejected the offer.

Updated Jul 5

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Overseeing integration of interceptor drones into Ukraine's layered air defense

Russia began bombing Ukrainian cities with Iranian-made Shahed drones in October 2022. Over three and a half years later, Ukraine has transformed that threat into an exportable edge: low-cost interceptor drones, as cheap as $2,100 each, now handling over 70% of Shahed kills.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading Ukrainian operations in Kupiansk direction

Russian forces have spent more than two years trying to recapture Kupiansk, a railway hub they lost in five days during Ukraine's 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. On February 9, 2026, they launched a mechanized assault east of the city, claiming to have captured Petropavlivka and Stepova Novoselivka, though Ukrainian forces said they repelled multiple attacks there.

Updated May 27