Mykhailo Drapatyi, a 43-year-old major general, has been named commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a move that has garnered near-universal support across political, military and civil society circles. Drapatyi is seen as a moderniser and a critic of the military's Soviet-style command culture.
Background and rise to prominence
Drapatyi first gained fame in 2014 when he drove an armoured vehicle through a barricade in Mariupol, becoming one of Ukraine's earliest military heroes. He belongs to a younger generation of commanders formed by over a decade of war, known for early adoption of drone warfare and delegating authority to junior officers.
His career began after graduating from the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops in 2004, joining the 72nd Mechanised Brigade. He helped halt the Russian advance towards Kryvyi Rih and played a key role in the liberation of Kherson.
Reforms and expectations
Drapatyi has been outspoken about reforming the army's internal culture. In a social media post last year, he criticised "an atmosphere of fear, lack of initiative, [and] imperviousness to feedback." After a Russian missile strike killed dozens of soldiers under his command, he publicly accepted responsibility and offered his resignation, winning widespread admiration.
Analysts say Drapatyi represents a break from the Soviet-style command culture associated with his predecessor, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was criticized for costly frontal assaults. "He is a critic of Soviet-style thinking and micromanagement, and he recognises the problems with lying inside the military," said Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Challenges ahead
Despite high hopes, experts warn that many of Ukraine's pressing wartime challenges lie beyond Drapatyi's authority. Long-running tensions between the defence ministry and the general staff remain unresolved, and mobilisation reform continues to be a politically fraught issue.
"There is a risk that in six months he will be blamed for problems he cannot fully control," said Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies. "Many of the biggest challenges facing Ukraine lie outside his mandate."
