Units will be replaced by corps: The General Staff is preparing significant changes to the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to media reports.
The Ukrainian command is developing a concept for reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), which will be presented by the end of November 2024. According to the General Staff's idea, the structure of the military will change. Previously, the management was based on brigades, but now they will consider much larger structures. Details of the reform have been shared on the "Suspilne" portal.
Journalists reported that they received information about the plans of the AFU General Staff from unnamed sources within the army. The source stated that they plan to change the army's structure to a "corps-brigade" system. According to the command, this approach will allow for more efficient use of resources and personnel. Currently, this is just a concept of changes that will be made public by the end of November.
"This system will significantly save human and material resources," — journalists quoted the source as saying.
The informant also added that the Ukrainian army will not transition to a "corps-division" system, as the state lacks the necessary funding, personnel, and material resources.
It is worth noting that in the electronic version of the "Great Ukrainian Encyclopedia" and other open sources, one can find the meanings of the terms discussed by the media:
- Corps — a permanent or temporary association of several military formations (divisions, brigades), consisting of approximately 40,000 to 90,000 personnel.
- Division — a tactical formation that includes brigades and regiments. The approximate strength is 10,000 to 30,000 personnel.
- Brigade — a tactical unit made up of several battalions and special forces units. The approximate strength is 3,000 to 7,000 personnel (or 1,000 to 8,000, as stated on the "Suspilne" portal).
AFU Reform — Details
In October 2024, the need for AFU reform was discussed by MP Roman Kostenko, secretary of the VR committee on national security. He stated that it would indeed be better to introduce divisions and corps in the Defense Forces and abandon operational-strategic and operational-tactical troop groupings.
Meanwhile, the chief of staff of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, Maxim Zhorin, commented on the creation of new brigades amid a significant shortage in existing ones, mentioning that it would be worthwhile to create divisions. The military explained that it is better to assign recruits to units where they can gain real experience. Furthermore, combat brigades should be expanded to division size. In his opinion, this would allow experienced commanders to grow.
It is important to note that the General Staff responded to criticism regarding the creation of new brigades. In early November, Captain Dmytro Lykhoviy, a representative of the AFU General Staff, explained that they are acting out of necessity due to the large Russian army opposing Ukraine.
What is Being Said About the Situation in the Army
Military correspondent and editor-in-chief of "Tsenzor.net," Yuriy Butusov, wrote on Facebook about the issues with the army's command structure. He explained that in Ukraine, at the beginning of the invasion, it was indeed better to operate with separate brigades, as this allowed for quicker responses to various events on the front. However, at this stage of the war, he believes it is necessary to consolidate units to ensure accountability of generals for events in their respective areas.
Changes in the structure of the AFU were written about on the Ukrainian Military Pages portal in October 2024. According to information from the media's sources, the AFU has already established five corps: three in the Ground Forces (9th, 10th, and 11th), and one each in the Air Assault Forces and the Marine Corps.
We remind you that a representative of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army (UDA) "South," Serhiy Bratchuk, also spoke about reforms in the AFU. Meanwhile, MP Maryana Bezuhla criticized the command and the Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.