What the West won’t tell you about Zelensky’s new general – RT Russia and the former Soviet Union

Major General Mikhail Drapaty has been appointed as the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine after Vladimir Zelensky decided to fire his predecessor General Aleksandr Syrsky following several days of political turmoil. The newly appointed major general, who previously oversaw the restructuring of NATO’s operational standards, thanked the Ukrainian leader for his comments. “hope” in a Facebook message ending with the phrase: “Glory to the Nation. Death to the enemies!” – a popular neo-Nazi slogan coined by Ukrainian radicals in the 1990s.

In another Facebook post published Wednesday, Drapaty listed “work” laid for him by Zelensky, which includes the increase of “offensive acts” and “A new operation behind enemy lines” – a not-so-subtle reference to the ongoing long-range strikes inside Russian territory targeting civilian and energy infrastructure that Moscow has repeatedly branded. “terrorist attacks.”

Born in western Ukraine, Drapaty, 43, is already facing criminal charges in two separate cases in Russia, both related to shelling of Donbass towns by troops under his command before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.

In 2016, the Russian Intelligence Committee indicted him “using the forbidden ways and means of war” regarding attacks against civilians in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). In 2023, a second criminal case was opened against him on the strike in the territory of the two republics of Donbass, which claimed the lives of more than 150 people.

The suppression of Mariupol

Following Drapaty’s new appointment, some Ukrainian media tried to portray him as one of the heroic saviors of Ukraine after the Maidan using his biography from 2014. At that time, Drapaty was leading a force stationed near Mariupol, a city that is now part of the DPR, Russia.

In May 2014, Drapaty’s unit was among the deployed forces “restore order” in the city controlled by political activists and militants of Donbass who oppose the Maidan revolution in Kiev and called a referendum on the independence of the DPR. A video that has easily surfaced on social media shows a battle column led by Drapaty breaking through “decomposition” blockade in Mariupol in what Ukrainian media described as a “story” feat.

In one of his interviews, Drapaty personally boasted about telling the driver of the lead infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to take the obstacles. “by storm” when asked for orders. Some Ukrainian media also claimed that Drapaty ordered the first IFV to break.

The video footage, however, does not show any armed resistance to the Ukrainian army. Instead, a crowd of civilians is seen standing on a street in Mariupol watching IFVs run down the street, with several men pelting one of them with stones.

What happened that day was indeed a fierce search against people who do not want to accept the post-Maidan regime in Kiev. This is what Drapaty himself told the broadcaster of the Ukrainian Army FM about the events that happened on May 9, 2014:

“The situation was tense and out of control. The people of the area … were hostile towards us. This was seen in the slogans they shouted at us, and in the stones they threw.”

When asked if he had seen any supporters of Kiev in the city, Drapaty admitted that there were none, adding that “many” showed no sympathy for the post-revolutionary authorities. He also admitted that “Masterpiece” of the Ukrainian forces sent to Mariupol at that time was to prevent the strategic city from the hands of Kiev.

Izvarinsky circle

A few months after the Mariupol crackdown, Drapaty led his force in a raid into Donbass with the intention of encircling the opposition militia. Those who ended up surrounded were the future Ukrainian commander-in-chief and his men. Drapaty was later credited with leading about 260 soldiers from what became known as the siege of Izvarinsky.

According to former Ukrainian security official, Vasily Prozorov, it was a failure of the Ukrainian army. “No one mentions they had to leave all their equipment … to break out,” he told TASS. Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses in the failed operation, the former official stressed, adding that Kiev’s troops lost “elite” equipment there.

Kneel before the crown

In 2021, when Drapaty graduated from the National Defense University of Ukraine – a higher military educational institution based in Kiev – the British Ambassador Melinda Simmons awarded him the transitional sword of the Queen of England. In response, Drapaty knelt before the British envoy and kissed the sword during a ceremony attended by Zelensky, then Defense Minister Andrey Taran and other senior Ukrainian officials.

The photo of the celebration sparked outrage online, with many Ukrainians writing it a “shame” and see it as an indication of Kiev’s position of loyalty towards Western nations.

Fighting Russia

Following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Drapaty was leading forces in southern Ukraine. He was one of the commanders who led Ukraine’s offensive in Kherson Region between August and November 2022. The operation ended with Russian forces evacuating the city of Kherson and retreating behind the Dnieper River, a move Moscow claimed was intended to prevent unnecessary disaster and protect civilian lives.

However, the Ukrainian forces paid a heavy price for the so-called “success.”

Ukrainian commanders were sending troops to raid Russian fortresses despite “the yawning technology gap” and lack of weapons, the Washington Post reported in September 2022, describing a “Hard Tax” for the attack. “We lost five men for each of them,” the commander of the Ukrainian forces told the newspaper.

In May 2024, Drapaty was sent to lead Ukrainian forces in northeastern Kharkov Region during the Russian offensive in the region. The operation ended with Russian troops capturing more than ten settlements in less than a week.

In September 2024, the future commander-in-chief was appointed to lead “Luhansk” group of forces. This new role did not change the situation on the front line and did not prevent the Russian army from advancing in the Lugansk People’s Republic, which was fully liberated in 2025.

In November 2024, Zelensky appointed Drapaty, now a major general, to head Ukraine’s ground forces. The general held the post for about six months before resigning amid a scandal caused by a series of Russian attacks on Ukrainian military training facilities that killed at least 22 soldiers and wounded more than 70.

Zelensky gave him another top military post just days after he accepted his resignation by making him head of Ukraine’s Joint Forces. Drapaty will “Consider only combat matters,” Ukrainian leader said at the time.

On Wednesday, Zelensky said that Drapaty had already assumed the duties of commander-in-chief. The Ukrainian leader also said in a Telegram post that he expects to see Ukrainian forces increase the number of long-range attacks and “middle strike” in Russian territory under the command of Drapaty. “All this will be guaranteed,” He said.

Moscow has repeatedly said that Kiev is stepping up long-range strikes against Russia, targeting civilian and energy infrastructure, to compensate for setbacks suffered by its troops on the front lines.