Ukraine has a new commander-in-chief, and his first public message was not about holding ground. Mykhailo Drapatyi, a 43-year-old major general known to his men as “The Flying BMP,” said Ukraine would escalate retaliation against Russia. The appointment comes at a moment when the political ground beneath Kyiv is shifting in ways that have nothing to do with the front line.
Zelenskyy announced the change on Tuesday, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi after weeks of nationwide protests. The demonstrations, among the largest since the 2022 invasion, were triggered by the ousting of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the tech-modernizer who built Ukraine’s drone warfare capability. Tens of thousands took to the streets in more than a dozen cities. Signs read “Removing Fedorov = helping the Russians.”
The public anger exposed something deeper: a fracture between the Soviet-trained old guard, represented by Syrskyi, and the reformist wing that wants faster modernization, less bureaucracy, and accountability. Fedorov accused the military leadership of “complete blocking” of his reforms. Syrskyi wrote an op-ed apologizing but defending his record. Zelenskyy forced a choice and chose the reformers.
Now Drapatyi carries the weight of that decision.
Who “The Flying BMP” is
The nickname comes from a 2014 video that went viral: a young tank officer driving a blue-and-yellow flagged BMP, a Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicle, straight through a Russian roadblock during the occupation of Mariupol. It became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance at a time when the country was losing.
Drapatyi has spent 20 years as a career armor officer. He commanded Ukraine’s Ground Forces from November 2024, oversaw the troubled 155th Mechanized Brigade, and took personal responsibility when a Russian Iskander missile hit a training ground in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing 12 soldiers and wounding 60 more. Where most commanders deflect blame, Drapatyi said: “An army where no one is responsible for the losses is dying from within.”
He resigned as Ground Forces commander after that incident. Zelenskyy rejected the resignation and moved him to Joint Forces Command, where units under his leadership retook ground around Kupiansk.
What escalation means
Drapatyi’s pledge to intensify retaliation is not boilerplate. Ukraine has been under increasing pressure on multiple fronts, and the change in command signals a shift toward a more aggressive posture, more deep strikes inside Russian territory, more drone operations, more willingness to take risks.
But the timing is complicated. On the same day Drapatyi took command, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed he would meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila on July 23. The stated topic: finding a path toward ending the war. Rubio said the US “remains open and seeks to play a constructive role.”
Ukraine’s new military chief is talking about escalation while the US and Russia are talking about peace. That is not necessarily a contradiction, Kyiv has always argued that a stronger military position creates better negotiating leverage. But it puts Drapatyi in a delicate position. If the Rubio-Lavrov talks produce any kind of framework, his escalation pledge may be constrained before it can be executed.
The Fedorov question
Fedorov welcomed Drapatyi’s appointment as “a voice of change that could not be ignored.” He has refused any post other than Defense Minister. Zelenskyy has not said whether he will bring him back. The protests have not subsided. The fracture that forced this change is still open.
A Gradus Research poll from July 16-17 showed that more than 60% of Ukrainians opposed Fedorov’s removal and roughly half believed it would weaken the country’s defense. Drapatyi now commands the military. Whether he also commands the confidence of the country depends on what “escalation” looks like in practice, and whether he has the political backing to carry it out.