Dear Ukrainians!
Today, I had another series of meetings with the commanders of our army corps, the Marine Corps, and the Commander of the Operation Task Force "East," Viktor Nikoliuk. We spoke with virtually every level of the Army's senior command, as well as the leadership across all of Ukraine's Defense and Security Forces, and we see a shared position. Apostol, Redis, Biletskyi, Horbatiuk, Obolenskyi, Brovdi, and others – I spoke with many. All priorities and the course for modernizing the Army's command structure have been analyzed.
First, I have decided that Mykhailo Drapatyi will become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with Mykhailo, Yevhenii Khmara, and Pavlo Palisa, we determined how the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should be reconfigured.
It is a fact that Oleksandr Syrskyi delivered results for Ukraine in 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. I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine's strong positions on the front. I am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for sharing this vision. Today, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Andrii Hnatov, and I discussed future service formats and the proper handover of duties.
Second, together with Mykhailo Drapatyi, I determined the tasks that must be carried out in the near future and over the medium term. The operations of Ukraine's Defense Forces are ongoing and must continue without disruption. Ukraine's long-range sanctions plan and our mid-strike program will be carried out with absolute precision.
Third, we must ensure the most coordinated, institutional handover of all responsibilities across the Army and continue with the planned steps in combat operations.
Fourth, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Yevhenii Khmara, and other commanders whom we will determine together must prepare and submit for approval an updated strategy for our defense, the next steps in continuing the corps reform, and the implementation of the requests made by combat commanders for the supply of weapons, supply of drones and equipment that were raised both at the Staff meeting and during our direct discussions with the commanders over the past few days. The priority is to maximize protection of our skies against Russian strikes and provide a real vision for the mobilization process.
Fifth, I also had a meeting today with Mykhailo Fedorov. I offered Mykhailo a worthy leadership position that would allow him to bring together our country's technological capabilities and ensure their continued development. Yevhenii Khmara's expertise in security, his combat achievements, the technological results, and Alpha's deep strikes speak for themselves – and this is exactly what is needed within the system of government institutions. We all want the same thing: to defeat the enemy and create the conditions – on the front line and through pressure on Russia – that would allow us to force Russia into peace. Tomorrow, we will formalize all of these decisions. Ukraine must emerge from this situation stronger, and it will be harder for Russia.
I thank all of our warriors. I thank every unit that is delivering results. I thank everyone who cares for our state, who cares for our national interests as if they were their own.
Glory to Ukraine!