Impersonator of Ukraine's new top general amasses nearly 7,000 followers on X

Less than a week after Ukraine appointed its new commander in chief, a premium X account posing as the popular general has already amassed nearly 7,000 followers.

The account @Drapatyi_M, created this month, has been highly active since Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi was named Ukraine's new military chief on Tuesday, posting at least 22 times in the last five days.

Official Confirmation of Impersonation

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces confirmed on Sunday that the account was illegitimate and published a list of Drapatyi's "only official pages." @Drapatyi_M was not among them.

We inform you that the only official social media pages of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, are: ⬇️ — General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (@GeneralStaffUA) July 26, 2026

Content and Activity of the Fake Account

X permits parody or satirical accounts of celebrities and major figures, but generally requires them to carry a "parody label" to indicate they are not authentic. @Drapatyi_M, however, does not appear to be posting for humor.

The account has been mimicking the routine updates typically published by Kyiv's leaders, including:

• Thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a meeting
• Posting about an apparent discussion with Raytheon executives regarding Patriot missiles

In a July 22 post featuring a photo of Drapatyi and Ukraine's acting defense minister, Yevhen Khmara, shaking hands, the account wrote:

"We are bringing the war to the territory of Russia and intensifying strikes with long-range weapons."

Controversial "Audit" Announcement

On Sunday, one of the account's posts drew attention—and criticism—from several Ukrainian figures. @Drapatyi_M announced that an "audit" of Ukraine's forces was underway, stating there would be no "untouchables" in the investigation.

While such an announcement would not be unreasonable from the actual general—Mykhailo Fedorov, recently ousted as defense minister, had announced a similar audit before his removal, and Drapatyi is known to have supported many of Fedorov's decisions—the post was flagged as false.

Serhii Sternenko, who runs one of Ukraine's most prominent fundraising groups for combat drones, called out the account on Sunday:

"Mykhailo Drapatyi does not currently have a Twitter page. The statement circulating on social media is fake."

Sternenko's account was among the 15 that the fake general's page followed.

Follower Count and Platform Policies

As of Sunday evening, @Drapatyi_M had close to 6,850 followers.

X provides a blue check mark to accounts that pay for its premium $8 monthly service, but has previously stated that the check mark does not indicate identity verification. This has historically caused confusion, as the badge was used for verification during the platform's days as Twitter.

Official government accounts are typically marked with a gray check mark instead.

Notably, X pays creators for posting if they have at least 500 verified followers or 5 million organic impressions over three months.

Background on Drapatyi's Appointment

Zelenskyy appointed Drapatyi—a rising star in Ukraine's armed forces—as commander in chief on Tuesday amid widespread protests over Fedorov's removal. Demonstrators had demanded that the then-commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, be removed instead.

Drapatyi was the popular favorite to take over the position.