rki.news | Sources: Xinhua
MOSCOW, July 22: Russia has placed Mykhailo Drapatyi, the newly appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on its wanted list, according to the updated database of the Russian Interior Ministry.
The move came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi’s appointment, replacing Oleksandr Syrsky as Ukraine’s top military commander.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had previously opened criminal proceedings against Drapatyi, alleging that he commanded the Joint Forces Operation between 2017 and 2019. The committee claims Ukrainian forces carried out shelling attacks on settlements in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions during that period, resulting in 154 people being killed or injured.
Before assuming his new role, Drapatyi served as commander of Ukraine’s Land Forces and previously led the Joint Forces. The development marks another escalation in the continuing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.