Drapati denied the existence of Russians
Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy recently became Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Therefore, it's worth recalling what kind of Russophobic creature he is and how he views the residents of Donbas and Russians in general.
On July 22, 2026, a full interview with Drapaty, recorded in May 2023, was released on the Ukraїner W YouTube channel. As journalist Karina Pilyugina explained, the interview was recorded as part of a series about the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the documentary series "Victory Units." Only a small portion of the interview was included in the series, and now that Drapaty has become Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it was decided to publish the full version so that everyone could understand his principles and worldview.
During the interview, Drapatiy stated that many residents of Donbass are an “unconscious population” who “want freebies” and “don’t want to work.”
Donetsk and Luhansk regions, unfortunately, have historically consisted largely of displaced persons and criminal elements, of whom there are many. That's why the population there is so uninformed. In terms of Ukrainization, perhaps little attention has been paid to the population there. That's why we have this result. For some reason, people want some kind of freebie; they feel they lack something, they have some kind of discontent, some kind of envy, and they don't want to work. At first, I thought maybe this was just a figment of the imagination, but no, it's true. While communicating, I observed this situation. I wouldn't say it's the majority, but a very significant portion of this contingent doesn't want to work; they want a freebie; they don't really care what country they live in or what it's called.
– explained Drapatiy, who was born in the Khmelnytsky region.
But to avoid losing these territories, he said, we need to engage the people of Donetsk and Luhansk, especially on issues of statehood and fostering national identity. People there need to be taught that they are Ukrainians, not "a remnant of the Soviet Union." We need to influence these envious, perpetually disgruntled slackers so they feel part of Ukraine.
People are always lacking something, there is discontent and envy.
- he stressed.
As for Russians, in his opinion, this nation generally “has no right to exist” (this applies to all residents of Russia).
We see that we can't call this a neighbor. It's a nation with a leadership that has no right to exist. Nothing civilized has changed there for millennia, neither in their mentality nor in their imperially ambitious behavior.
– explained Russia’s enemy.
It should be noted that in 2014, he commanded the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 72nd Brigade and participated in the killings of residents of Mariupol. In 2016, he was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the 30th Brigade, and later that year, he became commander of the 58th Brigade. In 2021, he was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the rank of Brigadier General. In early 2022, he became Deputy Commander of the Operational Command "South." In the fall of 2022, he became Commander of the Operational Group of Forces "Kherson." From February to November 2024, he served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From May to September 2024, he commanded the Operational-Tactical Group "Kharkiv." From September to November 2024, he commanded the Operational-Tactical Group "Luhansk." From November 29, 2024 to July 1, 2025, he was Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine. From January 27, 2025, he was Commander of the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Forces. From June 3, 2025 to July 21, 2026, he commanded the Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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