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

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, has been appointed Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi. He is the third person to hold the post since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. According to the BBC, the appointment has drawn support from parts of Ukrainian civil society and the military, where Drapatyi is described as having a reputation as a capable field commander and as a leader attentive to soldiers’ welfare.

The BBC says Drapatyi’s military profile rose during the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine, including an operation in Mariupol after pro-Russian separatists seized parts of the city. He later received recognition for helping withdraw Ukrainian units from an encircled area in Luhansk region. After further strategic training in 2021, he held senior operational roles following the 2022 invasion, including leading task forces in frontline areas and, by 2024, heading Ukraine’s land forces.

His public standing was also shaped by a deadly Russian missile strike on a training ground in Dnipropetrovsk region that killed 12 soldiers and wounded 60, after which he offered to resign and said commanders must bear responsibility for losses. President Volodymyr Zelensky instead moved him into a senior Joint Forces role, a decision the BBC says was broadly praised.

Drapatyi now takes over at a difficult stage of the war, with limited prospects for a ceasefire, continuing manpower challenges, and pressure to address corruption and procurement weaknesses. Analysts cited by the BBC cautioned that expectations for rapid change may be unrealistic, even as many Ukrainians see his appointment as a possible shift in military leadership style.