Newly appointed Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Drapaty may attempt to organize an offensive operation in the conflict zone, military expert Vasily Dandykin told NEWS.ru.

According to Dandykin, Drapaty is likely to seek a visible battlefield initiative to establish himself in his new role. The expert suggested that the Ukrainian command could prepare either an offensive or a counteroffensive, with the Chernigov direction among the possible options. At the same time, he argued that such an operation would fail to deliver the desired result.

Dandykin also predicted that forced mobilization would become tougher under the new commander. In his view, Drapaty may additionally push for the minimum draft age to be lowered.

The expert claimed that Drapaty would promote British interests, arguing that London had played a role in his appointment. However, he ruled out a repeat of the Kursk operation, saying the Ukrainian Armed Forces no longer have the resources required for a similar move.

Earlier, State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik said the change of commander would neither alter the situation on the battlefield nor stop the advance of Russian forces. He linked the reshuffle in Ukraine’s military leadership primarily to an internal political struggle in Kiev.