President of Ukraine outlines personnel changes and development priorities for the Defence Forces
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Acting Minister of Defence Evgeniy Khmara and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi have agreed on priority defence tasks.
Personnel decisions in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
As the President of Ukraine noted, Major General Ihor Skybiuk will become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is an officer who defended Ukraine shoulder to shoulder with the new Commander-in-Chief. The relevant decrees on these appointments are being prepared.
It is important that all components of our army continue to work in complete coordination
Together with Mykhailo Drapatyi and Evgeniy Khmara, the President also determined the further service of Oleksandr Syrskyi and Andrii Hnatov. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked both for their work and wished Mykhailo Drapatyi and Ihor Skybiuk success and victories in combat.
Priority defence tasks: mobilization, cyber forces, corps system
The participants discussed:
- organisational decisions for the development of Ukraine’s cyber forces;
- training for the military;
- strengthening the capabilities of units.
The transition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to a corps system was addressed separately. A practical and effective mobilization process was identified as the main priority for the army’s combat capability.
The President thanked the Defence Forces of Ukraine for carrying out the plan of long-range sanctions against russia and for the steady pace of mid-strikes. Supplies for deep strikes and mid-strikes are handled by Acting Minister of Defence Evgeniy Khmara, who discussed them with combat commanders and weapons manufacturers.
Protecting the skies: the FREYJA programme and Patriot licences
The meeting set out steps and official appointments to speed up the FREYJA anti-missile programme and talks with the United States on licences to produce Patriot systems.
Prospects for cooperation with European partners on joint air defence programmes were also outlined.