President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, as the head of the Khortytsia operational-strategic Group on Jan. 26.

"Today, I ordered a strengthening of the command structure of our forces in the Donetsk region," Zelensky said in his evening address.

He noted that Drapatyi’s leadership will focus on the most intense combat areas while also ensuring proper training for brigades.

Drapatyi will continue in his role as Commander of the Ground Forces, the largest component of the Armed Forces.

Zelensky appointed Drapatyi as commander in Nov. 2024. Drapatyi served as a commander of Ukraine's 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade from 2016 to 2019. He also played one of the key roles in the liberation of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast in 2014.

Additionally, Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov has been appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff to improve coordination between operational headquarters and the front lines.

Previously, Hnatov served as Commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Zelensky appointed him to that role in June 2024.

Zelensky said that these and other changes were discussed with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to address key military tasks at all levels.

“The specific needs of the front must determine the standards for equipping and training brigades,” Zelensky said.

Donetsk Oblast to forcibly evacuate children from over 20 settlements

Due to the increased threat to civilian lives, authorities will begin mandatory forced evacuations of children in several settlements in the Komar and Kryvorizhzhia communities, Governor Vadim Filashkin said.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert