Who is Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief?

Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi as Ukraine’s commander-in-chief; This was Russia’s third since the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022.

His candidacy was welcomed by both civil society and the military. Drapatyi’s name was mentioned with slogans during the protests, which started with support for his friend, former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, but ended with the demand for Syrskyi’s dismissal.

“There is no better person for this position in Ukraine these days,” a Ukrainian soldier told the BBC.

Drapatyi’s support is based on his many years of military experience in post-Soviet Ukraine, his skills as a field general, and his reputation within the military for being a humane and strong commander.

He graduated from the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops in 2004 and started his career as a lieutenant.

He rose to fame a decade later when footage of his infantry fighting vehicle smashing through a makeshift barricade went viral.

It was May 2014, and pro-Russian separatists had seized parts of eastern Ukraine when Drapatiy’s battalion entered the southern city of Mariupol to release hostages held in the city’s police force.

He later recalled being told that there were barricades more than a meter high ahead and asked what he should do. “I said, ‘Let’s ride the storm. This video went all over the world,'” he said in an interview.

Later that year, he was praised for withdrawing besieged Ukrainian units from the border area of ​​the Luhansk region.

Drapatiy returned to the university in 2021 for further operational and strategic training and was awarded the honorary sword as the best graduate by the British ambassador Melinda Simmons in June 2021.

Drapatiy was deputy commander of the joint forces when the full-scale invasion of Russia began in February 2022.

He led operational groups (temporary task forces) in various areas of the front line, successfully repelled the advance of Russian troops towards Kryvyi Rih and liberated a number of settlements in the Kherson and Dnipropretrovsk regions.

By 2024, he was leading the Ukrainian army’s ground troops and task forces in the east’s most intense war zones.

Less than a year later, a training range in the Dnipropetrovsk region was targeted by a Russian missile, killing 12 soldiers and wounding 60 others.

Drapatii submitted his resignation the same day, saying he took personal responsibility for the “conspiracy of silence and impunity” that led to the deaths. “

“An army in which commanders are personally responsible for the lives of personnel continues to live. An army in which no one is responsible for the casualties dies,” he wrote.

This was seen as a sign of personal responsibility, and Zelensky’s decision to appoint himself commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was widely praised.

From then on, whispered rumors of tensions with Syrskyi grew louder.

An unnamed officer told Ukrainian media in June 2025: “Drapatyi is a relatively young general. He is talented. He was always sent to places where the situation was extremely difficult.”

Just over a year later, Syrskyi is gone and hopes are high for Drapatyi.

“Drapatyi has a very good reputation, especially among those who joined as civilians after 2022,” says Mykola Bielieskov, senior analyst at Ukrainian NGO Come Back Alive. But Drapatyi will have to operate under severe restrictions, he notes.

“The commander in chief has a lot of influence. But war is a combination of the government, the president’s office, military suppliers, and dependence on the state. [Western] partners… so you have a tough road ahead.”

The prospect of a ceasefire with Russia remains slim, and Ukraine again faces a harsh winter of war.

Mobilizing manpower is a priority and Drapatyi will also be expected to tackle corruption affecting all levels of the military, from conscription officers to defense procurement.

In the meantime, it will have to capitalize on Ukraine’s extraordinary technological advances and the burgeoning technological defense industry that has led to Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes.

In his first message after being appointed commander-in-chief, Drapatyi acknowledged the difficulty of his task and promised to work “without making loud promises, taking responsibility for our decisions and respecting those serving on the front lines.”

Many will seek a change from the Syrskyi’s method of warfare, which is seen as “outdated” and places little value on human life in favor of brutal attacks.

“This is an important role and people will expect change quickly,” analyst Bielieskov said, warning against “oversimplification” that could lead to demand for sweeping improvements in an unrealistic period of time.

This was echoed by former interior ministry advisor Oleksiy Kopytko. As commander-in-chief, he said, “Today you are adored and loved by all, tomorrow you are unloved by all, and the day after tomorrow you are guilty of everything and none of your achievements matter.”

Valery Zaluzhnyi, who was removed as chief of staff in 2024, predicted that Drapatyi “will have a very difficult time, much more difficult than he thought.”

But there is palpable excitement among many soldiers and ordinary Ukrainians about the new change of perspective that Drapatyi represents. One said that if Mykhailo Fedorov was reinstated as defense minister, his and Drapatyi’s leadership would be “Russia’s worst nightmare.”

When Drapatyi resigned from his post in 2025, he listed the problems he had addressed in the Land Forces, from combat training reform to unfair mobilization, corruption and flawed procurement systems.

“There is expected resistance, but efforts need to be stepped up,” he said at the time.

He will face similar problems in his new position; albeit on a much larger scale and in full view of the whole country.

Additional material from BBC Monitoring