• New Ukrainian army chief Mykhailo Drapatyi has been tasked by President Zelensky with intensifying offensive operations and modernizing the armed forces.
• Drapatyi's appointment follows protests over the removal of popular politician Mykhailo Fedorov, who was seen as instrumental in recent Ukrainian successes in drone warfare.
• This marks the second military shake-up since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, with outgoing commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi expressing hope for the continuation of the offensive under new leadership.

The new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi, said President Volodymyr Zelensky has given him "clear tasks" for his new role, including continuing and intensifying offensive operations across all fronts.

Earlier on Wednesday, the outgoing commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that he was handing over an army that knows how to fight on the offensive, in a farewell message after his dismissal the previous day.

Zelensky dismissed Syrskyi on Tuesday evening after days of protests, replacing him with Drapatyi.

The protests broke out after Zelensky removed the popular politician Mykhailo Fedorov - seen as responsible for recent Ukrainian successes in drone warfare - from his role as defence minister last week.

In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, Drapatyi said that his priorities included potential operations deep inside Russian territory and the technological modernization of Ukraine's armed forces.

Drapatyj, who is 17 years younger than the outgoing chief, is expected to bring more modern approaches to warfare and military leadership.

Second military shake-up since war began

The recent shuffle of military leadership marks the second change at the top of Ukraine's army since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

After Fedorov's dismissal as defence minister, the 35-year-old made his conflict with the older Syrskyi over the direction of the war effort public, prompting protesters to call for the commander-in-chief to be replaced as well.

Syrskyi said he had apologized to Fedorov and hopes that the offensive will continue under the new leadership, adding that he was not concerned with power and that he would "serve Ukraine until victory" no matter which position he held.

"For a long time, people tried to convince us that Ukrainians were incapable of waging war," said Syrskyi, who was trained in the Soviet Union. "We have proved that this is not true. Ukraine is being defended by a heroic people."

While 43-year-old Drapatyi will now lead the country's armed forces, Zelensky has promised Fedorov a "dignified position" that will allow him to continue to oversee Ukraine's technological development.

It was initially unclear what this position would be, but Ukrainian media reported that Fedorov had declined the offer.