A fake premium X account claimed to be Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi and drew nearly 7,000 followers days after his appointment. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the profile was illegitimate and published the commander’s only official pages. The impersonator posted authoritative updates — including a claimed audit of the armed forces — prompting public figures to denounce the account. The case underscores confusion around X’s paid blue check and creator-payment rules that may encourage impersonation.
Fake X Account Impersonating Ukraine’s New Commander Amasses Nearly 7,000 Followers
The X account posing as Mykhailo Drapatyi drew attention for posting about an "audit" of Ukraine's forces.Screenshot/X
Less than a week after Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi was named Ukraine’s commander in chief, a premium X account claiming to be him gathered almost 7,000 followers and posted authoritative-seeming updates that Ukrainian officials say are false.
The impersonating profile, @Drapatyi_M, was created this month and published at least 22 posts in the five days following Drapatyi’s appointment. Its posts have mimicked the tone and content of routine public updates from Kyiv’s military leadership — including a photo caption about intensified strikes and a post claiming an audit of Ukraine’s armed forces with “no untouchables.”
Official Denial
Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces publicly confirmed the account is illegitimate and published a list of Drapatyi’s official pages; the @Drapatyi_M handle was not on that list. Prominent Ukrainians, including campaigners and defence commentators, warned followers that the account was fake.
Ukrainians in Kyiv and other major cities showed up by the thousands to protest Fedorov's removal and call for Syrskyi to step down.Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images
Why It Gained Traction
Several platform features helped the impersonator gain credibility to casual observers. X (formerly Twitter) sells a blue checkmark to subscribers of its paid premium tier (about $8/month), but the company has said the badge does not equal identity verification. Official government accounts are still typically designated with a gray checkmark.
X also offers payments to creators who meet thresholds such as having at least 500 paid-verified followers or 5 million organic impressions over three months. That system can incentivize rapid follower growth and creates an opportunity for impersonators to monetize popular but fake profiles.
Example post from the impersonator: "We are bringing the war to the territory of Russia and intensifying strikes with long-range weapons."
Context
Drapatyi’s appointment came during a turbulent period for Ukraine’s military leadership, amid public protests and debate about recent personnel changes. That environment made authoritative-sounding posts from a high-profile account more likely to be believed and spread quickly.
The General Staff’s clarification aimed to stem misinformation at a sensitive moment for Ukraine’s armed forces. The episode highlights how platform verification and creator-payment rules can blur signals of authenticity and enable impersonation during crises.
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