Ukraine's new armed forces commander, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, was placed on Russia's wanted list immediately after his appointment. Russian state media announced that Drapatyi was listed in the Interior Ministry's wanted database, but details of the new charges were not disclosed.
The move came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed General Oleksandr Syrskyi and replaced him with Drapatyi. The leadership change followed street protests that erupted after Mykhailo Fedorov was removed from his post at the defense ministry.
Russia's Investigative Committee had previously charged Drapatyi in 2023, alleging that his command in eastern Ukraine between 2017 and 2019 led to the deaths of 154 people. It is unclear whether the new arrest warrant references those charges.
Drapatyi is a commander who has been fighting Russian forces for over a decade. In 2014, he became known for breaking through a blockade in Mariupol with his armored vehicle to rescue besieged police officers. That same year, he successfully led his unit out of Russian-controlled territory.
After Russia's full-scale invasion, Drapatyi repeatedly served in critical sectors of the front. In mid-2024, he helped hold the front line by stopping a Russian offensive near Kharkiv, and later became the youngest commander of Ukraine's ground forces.