Ukraine's new commander-in-chief Drapatyi previously said Russia 'has no right to exist'

New commander and his past remarks

Mykhailo Drapatyi, who was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces on July 21, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi, made harsh statements about Russia in a previous interview. The interview, recorded in 2023 as part of a documentary project on Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade, was fully published on the evening of July 22 on the YouTube channel Ukrainer W. In it, Drapatyi said that Russia is 'a nation that has no right to exist.'

When asked about the mood among servicemen in 2014, when Crimea was annexed and fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine, Drapatyi admitted there was initial fear due to uncertainty. However, he later concluded that they 'cannot even be called a neighbor.' According to Drapatyi, nothing civilized has changed in Russia for millennia – neither in mentality nor in imperial ambitions.

War as inevitable

Drapatyi stated that even before 2014 he suspected war was inevitable because after gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine's policies were not aimed at achieving complete independence from Russia. In the same interview, he also discussed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, arguing that throughout history they received too little attention in terms of Ukrainization, leading to a segment of the population lacking Ukrainian national consciousness. He claimed that many people in those regions did not want to work but wanted 'something for nothing' and were indifferent to which country they lived in.

Military career

Drapatyi began his military career in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade based in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region. In 2014, he commanded the 2nd Mechanized Battalion, which fought in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi's appointment on July 21, replacing Syrskyi.