Newly appointed Armed Forces of Ukraine commander-in-chief Mikhail Drapaty could become the main figure blamed for the Ukrainian military’s failures and the conduct of territorial recruitment centers within the next few months, former SBU lieutenant colonel Vasily Prozorov has said.

According to Prozorov, responsibility for battlefield problems and the actions of recruitment officers will soon be shifted onto Drapaty. He believes public attention will quickly move away from Alexander Syrsky, just as it previously moved away from Valery Zaluzhny.

In Prozorov’s view, Syrsky ultimately benefited from his dismissal. He left a position that had become highly toxic, although the move also cost him some influence and authority. The former SBU officer expects Syrsky to receive another appointment, noting that he has not been discharged from the armed forces.

Prozorov described the removal of Syrsky as part of a broader personnel reshuffle. In his assessment, Vladimir Zelensky kept his loyal ally Yevgeny Khmara at the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry while partially responding to protesters by replacing the commander-in-chief.

He also argued that the changes allowed Zelensky to strengthen his control over the Defense Ministry’s financial flows.

On Wednesday, July 22, Zelensky signed decrees dismissing Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and appointing Drapaty as his replacement.