Drapatiy redeployed the 7th Corps of the Airborne Forces from Volyn to Zaporizhzhia
After being appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatiy reversed Oleksandr Syrskyi’s decision and transferred command of the 7th Airborne Corps from Volyn back to the front lines. In the summer, the corps was transferred from the Dobropillia sector to northern Ukraine due to fears of a possible offensive from Belarus. It was subsequently sent to Zaporizhzhia to reinforce the “South” group amid increased Russian military activity near Huliaipole.
In the summer of 2026, the then-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, decided to transfer command of the 7th Airborne Assault Corps from the Dobropil sector to Volyn. According to the publication, in Volyn, the corps was to prepare for a possible defense in the event of a Russian offensive from Belarusian territory.
After being appointed Commander-in-Chief, Drapatiy reconsidered this decision. The command of the 7th Corps was withdrawn from Volyn and sent to the Zaporizhzhia sector. According to a source within the 7th Corps who spoke to “Ukrainska Pravda,” the troops were stationed in Volyn for no more than two weeks. After that, they headed to Zaporizhzhia, where they were to reinforce the “South” military group. “We spent no more than two weeks in Volyn, after which we arrived in Zaporizhzhia. We were tasked with reinforcing the ‘South’ military group with a new corps,” the source told the publication.
According to him, several brigades, as well as the 225th Assault Regiment, were placed under the corps’ command. At the same time, the soldier noted that the corps is currently not operating with its full complement of units. Because of this, he said, there are certain difficulties with coordination. “Overall, everything is fine; the only thing is that we’re here without our full complement of troops—we’d prefer to fight with our own units, as that leads to better coordination and higher operational efficiency,” the source told UP.
Why the 7th Corps Was Initially Sent to Volyn
Syrsky’s decision was linked to concerns about the possible use of Belarus in a new Russian aggression against Ukraine. As early as the spring of 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about activity near the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. In particular, he reported on the construction of roads in Belarus leading toward Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions.
In early May, Zelenskyy also spoke of “specific activity” by the Belarusian side near Ukraine. Subsequently, Ukrainian intelligence warned that Russia might be considering involving Belarus in new military operations. This referred not only to Ukraine but also to possible actions against one of the NATO countries.
Syrsky himself stated that the threat of a Russian offensive from Belarusian territory is real. He cited this, in particular, as the reason for strengthening the northern front and forming new brigades within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Consequently, in the summer, the command of the 7th Airborne Corps, which had previously been stationed in the Donetsk region, was redeployed to Volyn.
Why the Corps Was Returned to Zaporizhzhia
After the change in commander-in-chief, the situation changed. Drapatiy reversed the previous decision and directed the corps to the Zaporizhzhia sector. According to “Ukrainska Pravda,” one of the reasons was the buildup of Russian troops in the Huliaipole area. The publication reports that Russia is amassing forces there and attempting to launch an offensive, creating conditions for a subsequent encirclement of Zaporizhzhia.
That is precisely why it was decided to deploy the 7th Corps to a sector where Ukrainian troops need additional reinforcements. According to “Ukrainska Pravda,” this decision was received positively within the corps itself. One of the publication’s sources explained that military officials considered the command’s presence in Volyn to be unnecessary given the lack of sufficient combat missions there. This is the assessment of the publication’s source and not the official position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command.
Upon returning to the south, the corps was assigned a new area of responsibility and received additional units to reinforce the “South” group. Thus, within a few months, the 7th Corps command changed its focus in two directions at once—first, it was transferred from Donetsk Oblast to Volyn due to the threat from Belarus, and after Drapaty’s arrival, it was moved back closer to the active front line in Zaporizhzhia. This is detailed in an article by “Ukrainska Pravda” about the first steps of the new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapato.
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