Dorozvidka #69: Commander Drapatyi, Eric Schmidt, Taras Chmut, Magyar, Mamay, CODE 9.2 and Ukraine’s ballistic missile programme

In this edition of Dorozvidka:

• Mykhailo Drapatyi becomes Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief;
• Taras Chmut on mid-strike drones, deep strikes and raids on defence companies;
• The latest developments in Ukraine’s ballistic missile programme;
• How Eric Schmidt invested $400 million in Ukrainian defence tech;
• “He is destroying Putin’s empire”: an interview with Madyar;
• How CODE 9.2 Regiment destroys Russian equipment with Darts drones;
• How the Security Service of Ukraine targets Russia’s shadow fleet with Mamay naval drones.

Mykhailo Drapatyi becomes Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief

On the evening of 21 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and nominated Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him.

The decision came after six days of street protests triggered by the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. His conflict with Syrskyi had been widely cited as the main reason behind his removal.

In his evening address, Zelensky said Drapatyi, Acting Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara and other military commanders must prepare an updated defence strategy for Ukraine, along with further steps to advance the corps reform.

The president also said he had offered Fedorov “a high position in government focused on developing the state’s technological capabilities”. It remains unclear whether the former minister has accepted the offer.

Later on 21 July, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi on his appointment and thanked Syrskyi for his service.

Meanwhile, Syrskyi published a post outlining his achievements as Commander-in-Chief and said he would continue serving Ukraine.

Taras Chmut on mid-strike drones, deep strikes and raids on defence companies

The political and military leadership crisis also dominated a lengthy interview between journalist Roman Kravets and Taras Chmut, head of the Come Back Alive Foundation.

Chmut discussed Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal, outlined what he believes were the real reasons behind it, and spoke about the conflict between Syrskyi, other members of Zelensky’s team and the former defence minister.

The hour-and-a-half interview also covered defence technologies. Chmut shared his views on Ukraine’s medium- and long-range strike drones and commented on Fire Point’s work.

The latest developments in Ukraine’s ballistic missile programme

In his final post as defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov revealed that, on the day the government resigned, Ukraine successfully tested a ballistic missile developed under the Ministry of Defence’s programme.

“We radically revised the technical requirements and achieved maximum accuracy. We reduced the cost by 30%. Ukraine is entering a new league,” he wrote.

Private defence tech company Fire Point also continues testing its own ballistic missiles. On 20 July, Fire Point’s principal owner and chief designer, Denys Shtilerman, published footage of a ballistic missile launch. The company has not disclosed which missile was tested.

How Eric Schmidt invested $400 million in Ukrainian defence tech

Forbes Ukraine published an in-depth story on how American billionaire and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt built a defence technology business in Ukraine.

According to Forbes, Schmidt and his team have already developed two systems that became game changers in different domains of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Merops Shahed interceptor was the first drone used at scale to shoot down Russian deep-strike drones and has already intercepted more than 4,000 targets.

The lightweight Hornet mid-strike drone has become a key tool in Ukraine’s 2026 campaign to sever Russian logistics routes to occupied Crimea.

Next in line is the tactical drone Bumblebee, described by Arsen Dmytryk, Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade’s 1st Corps, as “the BMW of its class”.

Read the article.

“He is destroying Putin’s empire”: an interview with Magyar

Irish journalist Caolan Robertson has published an interview on his YouTube channel with Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

Among the topics they discussed:

• The operation to isolate occupied Crimea;
• Strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure, shipping and logistics;
• The evolution of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign;
• Why Madyar believes NATO is running out of time;
• What he believes comes next for Ukraine and Russia.

How CODE 9.2 Regiment destroys Russian equipment with Darts drones

The CODE 9.2 assault drone regiment reported destroying 107 pieces of Russian equipment over three days and nights. The operation relied primarily on low-cost Darts mid-strike drones.

How the Security Service of Ukraine targets Russia’s shadow fleet with Mamay naval drones

Over the past week, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) twice reported successful strikes against vessels belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet using Mamay naval drones.

The first operation targeted the tankers Louise 1 and Banda in the Black Sea.

Later, the SBU also announced a successful strike on the tanker Avero, which was likewise hit by a Mamay unmanned surface vessel.