Ukraine is reforming its army: Zelensky discussed fake generals who never saw combat, bureaucratic issues, and a new management system.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the generals of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should be on the front lines, not just in headquarters. This is one of the key aspects of reforming the approaches to military management. It is included in the internal "resilience plan" of the head of state.

Zelensky shared this during an interview with "Suspilne" at the III International Conference on Food Security Grain from Ukraine. According to the president, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has been tasked with reducing the level of bureaucracy in the army to ensure more effective management.

"This is very important. An officer must see a soldier. A general who has not been in a trench is not a general to me, regardless of experience. With all due respect, today the most challenging situation is at the forefront, in the trench. Generals must be in the trenches. That’s the nature of this war," Zelensky stated.

The president also emphasized the significance of the moral state of the military. He supported the initiative to transition to a "corps - brigade" management system if it helps reduce the distance between command and soldiers and decrease bureaucracy.

What is known about the reform

At the end of November, the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to implement a "corps - brigade" system. This will optimize human and material resources, according to sources in the media.

Previously, journalist Yuriy Butusov emphasized that the Ukrainian army remains the only one in the world that does not use divisions and corps in combat operations. He proposed to restore such a structure that existed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine before 2016. Historically, the Ukrainian army had a corps organization. For instance, in the early 1990s, the Armed Forces of Ukraine consisted of six army corps. In 2023, three army corps were created, equipped according to NATO standards. Military experts and public opinion leaders also insist on the necessity of reform. For example, the commander of "Azov," Denys Prokopenko, noted that Russia uses management at the level of divisions and corps, giving the enemy an advantage in strategic planning.

However, an expert from the Center for Military-Legal Studies, Oleksandr Musiyenko, emphasized that Ukraine should focus specifically on creating army corps. Divisions, according to the military expert, are difficult and impractical to establish in our conditions. Army corps are the optimal path, he explained.