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

Meanwhile, he will have to capitalise on Ukraine's remarkable technological advances and the burgeoning tech defence industry that has spearheaded Ukraine's recent battlefield successes. In his first message after being appointed Commander-in-Chief, Drapatyi acknowledged the difficulty of his task and promised to work "without making loud promises, with responsibility for our decisions, and with respect" for those on the front line.Many will be looking for a change from what was seen as Syrskyi's "outdated" way of fighting, which placed little value on human life in favour of brutal offensives."It's a major role and people will expect change quickly," analyst Bielieskov said, warning against "oversimplification" that can lead to demand for sweeping improvements in an unrealistic length of time. This has been echoed by former interior ministry adviser Oleksiy Kopytko. As commander-in-chief, he noted, "you are worshipped and loved by all today, not loved by everyone tomorrow, and are guilty of everything the day after tomorrow, with none of your achievements mattering".Valery Zaluzhnyi, who was removed as army chief in 2024, predicted that Drapatyi would "have a very difficult time. Much harder than he imagines".But among many soldiers and ordinary Ukrainians there is a tangible sense of excitement for the new shift in outlook that Drapatyi represents. One said that if Mykhailo Fedorov were reinstated as defence minister, his and Drapatyi's leadership would be "Russia's worst nightmare". When he resigned from his position in 2025, Drapatyi listed issues he had tackled in the Ground Forces - ranging from combat training reform to unfair mobilisation, corruption and flawed procurement systems.