Paratrooper and Hero of Ukraine: Skybyuk Becomes Chief of the General Staff

Alongside the appointment of Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, President Volodymyr Zelensky also replaced the chief of the General Staff. Maj. Gen. Ihor Skybyuk, previously deputy chief of the General Staff, has succeeded Lt. Gen. Andrii Hnatov.

Early career

Ihor Skybyuk is a career paratrooper. He was born on October 10, 1976, in Konotop, Sumy region. He began his military service in 1998 as a platoon commander in the 80th Air Assault Brigade.

Between 2001 and 2002, Skybyuk commanded a special platoon of the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo.

From 2009 to 2011, he studied at the National Defense University of Ukraine, where he completed operational and tactical-level military education, opening the way to senior command positions.

War in Donbas

When Russia launched its military aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the 80th Air Assault Brigade was among the first Ukrainian units to enter combat. Skybyuk fought alongside his troops in some of the war’s fiercest battles, including Ilovaisk and Debaltseve.

He was wounded in 2014 but returned to active service after completing treatment and rehabilitation. In 2016, he commanded Ukrainian forces during the multinational Maple Arch 2016 military exercise.

Brigade commander

In October 2018, Skybyuk was appointed chief of staff of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade.

In November 2021, he took command of his native 80th Air Assault Brigade, preparing it for what would soon become Russia’s full-scale invasion.

At the start of the invasion in February 2022, Skybyuk commanded the brigade as it helped stop the Russian advance in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. During Ukraine’s Kharkiv counteroffensive, the brigade also participated in the liberation of Izium. For his leadership, Skybyuk was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.

Following the successes in the Kharkiv region, the 80th Air Assault Brigade returned to southern Ukraine, where it took part in the liberation of the Kherson region.

It was during the Kherson campaign that Skybyuk first worked closely with Mykhailo Drapatyi.

Speaking on July 22, 2026, Drapatyi recalled their cooperation:

“We met in southern Ukraine in 2022 while leading the operation to liberate the Kherson region from the same command post. Since then, I have known Ihor Skybyuk as a commander who can be trusted in difficult circumstances and relied upon for his decisions, experience and principles.”

Senior command

In November 2022, Skybyuk was appointed chief of staff and deputy commander of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces. On February 11, 2024, he was appointed commander of the Air Assault Forces, replacing Maksym Myrhorodskyi.

Following Ukraine’s Kursk offensive and its failure to achieve the desired objectives, Oleksandr Syrskyi reportedly blamed Skybyuk for the outcome. It later emerged that Skybyuk had opposed launching the Kursk operation, believing it would be an inefficient use of resources.

On June 3, 2025, he was appointed deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Chief of the General Staff

The dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov triggered protests across Ukraine. Responding to public pressure, President Zelensky reshuffled the country’s military leadership.

Yevhen Khmara was appointed defense minister, while Mykhailo Drapatyi replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. Skybyuk’s appointment as chief of the General Staff came as a surprise.

According to Maryana Bezuhla, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Zelensky did not have his own preferred candidate for the post and instead accepted the recommendation of Defense Minister Khmara and Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi.