An information campaign has been launched against the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Drapato
On July 27, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a targeted campaign to spread false information on social media against the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty. They noted that the scale and volume of false reports indicate an organized information operation.
This was reported in a statement by General Staff spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy on Facebook.
Lykhoviy noted that in the first days of the new commander-in-chief’s tenure, fake plans and promises began circulating on social media, and a positive image was being crafted so that it could later be used for criticism and accusations.
According to him, a fake Twitter account belonging to Mykhailo Drapaty has already been blocked with the help of the Ministry of Digital Transformation. At the same time, a new wave of disinformation has emerged—fake “Drapato” pages on Threads and the active dissemination of questionable posts on Facebook.
Lykhovoy noted that some military experts are using bot accounts to spread AI-generated texts about an alleged conflict between the new and former commanders-in-chief.
“A fabricated story has taken on a life of its own claiming that Drapatyi announced some kind of audit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. That he used his own money to create a charitable foundation for the wounded, and that the TCC was sent to the front lines,” stated the General Staff spokesperson.
Lykhovoy refuted the information about an alleged audit at the TCC and other reports circulating online. He emphasized that the process of assuming a new position and familiarizing oneself with the affairs of the organization works differently.
“The claims about the foundation, the argument, and the TCC are also untrue. Drapaty does not have a Threads account, and he has no intention of creating additional social media accounts,” noted the General Staff officer.
According to him, the scale of the spread of these fabricated stories points to a possible targeted disinformation campaign against the new commander-in-chief.
“This is happening in parallel with ridiculous accusations of ‘racism’ based on a perfectly reasonable anti-Russian interview from 2023,” Lykhoviy added.
The General Staff spokesperson urged journalists and social media users to verify information before sharing it.
“Before you shower someone with praise and share AI-generated texts and images—think about whether the account is real, whether the information is true, and what the author’s goal is,” he concluded.
As a reminder, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatiy shared his thoughts in an interview with Ukraїner on the attitudes of the civilian population in Donetsk and Luhansk regions toward the war, Russia, and the Ukrainian military.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of state announced this shortly before midnight on July 21.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatiy, and Acting Minister of Defense Yevhen Khmara must carry out two key tasks: strengthen the defense of Ukrainian airspace and reform the system of territorial recruitment centers.
