Ukraine appoints Drapatyi as top commander, signaling shift toward Western warfare
President Zelenskyy named Colonel Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new top commander and head of the General Staff, a move seen as pushing Kyiv toward Western-style warfare. Drapatyi, famed for the 2014 Mariupol breakout and the 2022 Kryvyi Rih defense, replaces four-star general Syrskii amid postwar reform debates and ongoing tensions after Defence Minister Fedorov’s dismissal; whether the change alters the war depends on mobilization, technological advances, and Russia’s actions, according to analysts.