Gen. Drapatyi to head new task force amid Ukrainian command’s controversial corps shake-up
Ukrainian general Mykhailo Drapatyi has been named the commander of the Armed Forces' new Joint Forces Task Force, a new command structure responsible for the front line in and around Kharkiv Oblast, the force announced on Oct. 20.
The move comes amid an ongoing and often nebulous restructuring of the Ukrainian high command that began with the announcement of a switch to a corps-based command system in February this year.
After General Staff chief Andrii Hnatov announced the "completion" of the corps reform, larger umbrella command structures, including the Dnipro operational-strategic group (OSUV) led by Drapatyi, were disbanded by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on Oct. 6.
Initially, the corps were expected to report directly to the General Staff, replacing the OSUVs. But according to this announcement, the new task force will directly coordinate the corps in its zone of responsibility.
This seemingly contradicts the initial purpose of the corps reform, which has been mired by problems, with critics saying it has yet to be properly implemented. The new corps commanders — each responsible for around five brigades — were meant to assume direct control of the units under their command, rather than relaying orders through temporary structures like the OSUV.
"The close cooperation with young commanders of units that are part of the Joint Forces Command, as well as the acquired joint experience in operational planning, will give new impetus to the development of the capabilities of the Joint Forces Task Force and create additional opportunities for effective repelling of the enemy," the new command structure wrote on Facebook.
The announcement comes amid long-documented tension between Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and the 42-year-old Drapatyi, one of Ukraine's most highly regarded generals.
On June 1, Drapatyi submitted his resignation as Ground Forces commander after a Russian missile struck a training ground, leaving 12 soldiers dead and 60 injured.
According to unnamed sources cited by Ukrainska Pravda in a piece published on Oct. 6, the decision to dissolve the Dnipro OSUV, which covered all of the eastern front line, was motivated by Syrskyi's desire to reign in Drapatyi's influence in the Ukrainian military leadership.
