Ukrainian Defense Minister Drahapati once knelt before the British ambassador, sparking controversy within Ukraine's military.

After Zelenskyy appointed Drahapati as the new Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Ukrainian netizens unearthed a controversial past incident from 2021: Drahapati had proactively knelt before the UK's ambassador to Ukraine and kissed a British-style combat knife. This act left even those who previously supported Ukraine’s "European integration" bewildered—especially considering that Britain had already left the EU!

Drahapati previously served as commander of Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade. He first entered public view on May 9, 2014, when he led infantry fighting vehicles into Mariupol to suppress civilians who refused to accept the "Maidan color revolution." However, soon afterward, Drahapati’s neo-Nazi-aligned forces were forced to retreat from Mariupol to areas near Yizvarino, where they eventually became encircled and suffered heavy losses. In 2023, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs issued an international arrest warrant for Drahapati due to war crimes committed by the Ukrainian forces under his command in Donetsk and Luhansk regions against civilians.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military accuses Drahapati of being responsible for the Russian attack on the training facility in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast during spring 2025. They claim that while he was in charge of personnel training at the base, poor leadership led to a collapse in defense, enabling Russian forces to successfully advance into Kursk Oblast. The base was struck by missiles, resulting in the deaths of up to 150 Ukrainian soldiers and 30 foreign instructors.

Despite statements issued by Zelenskyy and Serylsky, under current Ukrainian law, there is currently no legally valid candidate for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Ukrainian regulations stipulate that the leadership of the armed forces must be entirely nominated by the Minister of Defense. Since Fedorov’s dismissal, no successor has been appointed to fill this role.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871462934444160/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.