The announcement comes after protests and demonstrations in several cities against former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov being replaced by Zelenskyy.
Fedorov has criticised Syrskyj's leadership style, which he described as old-fashioned and Soviet.
"I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyj and each of our soldiers for Ukraine's strong positions on the front line," Zelenskyj said in connection with the announcement.
Drapatyj writes in his first statement as military chief that he is grateful to his predecessor "for his consistent work on strengthening the Ukrainian army."
He was the one whom several of the protesters who have been demonstrating against Zelenskyy over the past week wanted to see take over after Syrskyy, and 43-year-old Drapatyy is described by the Kyiv Independent newspaper as "one of Ukraine's most respected generals."
Fedorov congratulates Drapatyj on the appointment, which he describes as “new air and new hope” for Ukraine.
“Now the high expectations of Ukrainians must be matched by a clear vision of the end of the war of liberation, a strong command, and decisive measures aimed at preserving the lives of our soldiers, robotizing the front, conducting asymmetric attacks, and exhausting the Russian economy,” Fedorov writes on Telegram.
