The newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Major General Mykhailo Drapati, assessed the state of the Ukrainian army and the path it has traveled from the Soviet era to the present day. According to him, the Ukrainian armed forces are on the rise, gradually abandoning heavy bureaucracy and turning into modern, technological defense forces, writes the Ukrainian edition of Focus.
Drapati's comments were filmed as part of a documentary about the 72nd brigade ''Black Zaporozhtsi'', distributed by the YouTube channel Ukraїner, while he holds the position of commander of the Kherson Military District. In the leaked video, he emphasizes the positive changes in the provision of equipment, ammunition and the development of a new type of leadership.
A new mentality and a break with Soviet practices
One of the main themes in the new commander-in-chief's thoughts is the change in the attitude towards the individual fighter. He notes that the old Soviet practice of commanders not valuing human life is gradually becoming a thing of the past. The experience of real combat operations since 2014 has built a new generation of officers who realize the high cost of their decisions and are not afraid to take personal responsibility.
''Even in conditions of large-scale armed aggression, we are now on the rise. The most important thing is that the mentality of the modern army is changing, moving away from the Soviet era, from military bureaucracy. We are changing, we are changing for the better not only technologically, but also in terms of providing the army with military equipment and ammunition, Major General Drapati stated.
According to him, the requirements for the command staff have increased significantly, and the army has become the main guarantor of the independence and territorial integrity of the country.
Clashes at the top of the army and Drapati's experience
The general's assessments are gaining more and more weight after President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement on July 19 that Major General Mykhailo Drapati is taking over the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in place of Oleksandr Syrsky.
Drapati has been known to Ukrainian society since the events in Mariupol in 2014, when the infantry fighting vehicle he was driving broke through the separatist barricades. During his career, he was the commander of the 72nd Brigade "Black Zaporozhets", the head of the Kherson Special Forces, and later the commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine.
Amid the castling, the Verkhovna Rada has already announced its high expectations for the new military leader at a key stage in the country's defense.