‘More Air Strikes on Russian Forces for Victory’ Drapaty Tells NATO Chief in 1st Call

In his first phone call with NATO chief Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, on Wednesday, Ukraine’s commander in chief Mykhailo Drapaty said Ukraine must hold the line and double down on air strikes to achieve victory.“At this stage of the war, we must strengthen operations across multiple domains,” Drapaty said, calling for preventing “enemy infiltration into our defensive lines” and expanding “both long-range and medium-range precision strikes.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.He also highlighted the need for the US-made Patriot missiles to defend Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks.Ukraine outlines battlefield prioritiesDrapaty told Grynkewich that Ukraine needs to develop its Army Corps structure while increasing the operational autonomy of corps-level formations.He said Ukraine is working to inflict heavier losses on Russian forces while weakening Moscow’s wartime economy through asymmetric tactics and domestically developed technologies.Drapaty also thanked Grynkewich for his efforts to help secure additional air defense systems for Ukraine, as well as US President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the US for military assistance provided through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).Under PURL, European countries buy military equipment requested by Ukraine, including Patriot interceptor missiles, from the US.The conversation marked Drapaty’s first publicly disclosed contact with Grynkewich since the US general assumed the dual role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of US European Command. Other Topics of Interest US Senate Delivers Overwhelming 86-12 Bipartisan Backing for Russia Sanctions as Zelensky Watches Zelensky’s Capitol visit coincides with a decisive push to squeeze Moscow’s energy revenues and raise the cost to Russia of continuing the war. Drapaty was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky in one of the country’s most significant military leadership shakeups.Zelensky said Drapaty would focus on increasing the military’s effectiveness and adaptability.The appointment came amid a broader reshuffle of Ukraine’s security leadership and followed consultations between the president, Syrsky, Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov and other senior defense officials. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.