Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi faces a balancing act between asserting the independence favored by military reformers and accommodating political input on battlefield strategy.

© Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, via Reuters

Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, a decorated commander, is popular both inside and outside of his country.

© Genya Savilov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The move followed the firing of a popular defense minister, who had clashed with the general over how to fight the war.

© Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times