Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian Colonel Mykhailo Drapatyi first gained recognition in 2014 when he drove an armoured vehicle at high speed through a barricade set by pro-Russian separatists in Mariupol. On May 9, 2014, Drapatyi led a rescue operation to save police officers held hostage in an Interior Ministry building, during clashes that resulted in several officers and separatists killed, with pro-Russian crowds nearby cheering the deaths.

Since then, Drapatyi has been hailed as Ukraine’s first top general to adopt Western military strategies over outdated Soviet-era tactics, emphasizing the use of drones and robotics over large troop deployments. In a 2023 interview, Drapatyi stated that Russia “can’t be called a neighbour, this nation with its leadership doesn’t have a right for existence.”

Ukraine has long sought NATO membership, with many Ukrainians now jesting that NATO should seek to join Ukraine’s armed forces due to their advancements in drone and robotic warfare. Analysts like Nikolay Mitrokhin from Germany’s Bremen University note that the war’s direction depends on factors including Ukraine’s problematic mobilisation efforts, technological innovations, and Russia’s actions.

Romanenko, commenting on military leadership, said, “Fedorov felt that what he did was important, effective, that there were enough people behind him. In such conditions, complex matters are not solved in a simple way, and when one attempts to do so, the consequences are difficult.”

Drapatyi’s leadership comes at a critical juncture as Ukraine continues its conflict with Russia, which escalated into full-scale war following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Sources