In an old interview, Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi said Russia ‘has no right to exist’

Ukraine's newly appointed military commander, Mykhailo Drapatyi, is drawing scrutiny after a 2023 interview resurfaced in which he said Russia 'has no right to exist.' Per Meduza, Drapatyi made the remarks in a documentary interview with the YouTube channel Ukrainer W, criticizing Russia's leadership and what he called the country's unchanged imperial ambitions across centuries. In the same interview, he also commented on eastern Ukrainian regions, suggesting they lacked sufficient Ukrainization historically. Drapatyi was appointed commander-in-chief after previously leading Ukraine's Joint Forces, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.

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