Drapatiy has begun a personnel review of officers at the General Staff

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatiy has initiated a personnel review of officers serving in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. His team plans to focus on ensuring that positions within the General Staff are primarily filled by military personnel who have recent combat experience and are capable of effectively commanding troops.

According to a source, on September 28, Mykhailo Drapatiy personally convened the heads of all structural units of the General Staff and explained what changes he expects from them.

“On September 28, the Chief of the General Staff personally convened the heads of all structural units of the General Staff and explained quite clearly what he expects from them. The main message is this: if we demand that the troops change, we must start with ourselves.

One of the first steps is a personnel review. By October 2, the heads of units must submit information regarding General Staff officers and generals who, since 2022, have had no practical experience carrying out combat missions as part of formations at the battalion, brigade, corps, or military group levels.

Combat experience, of course, is not the only criterion for professionalism, but during wartime, the strategic headquarters cannot lose touch with what is actually happening on the ground. “The General Staff must serve the troops and provide them with solutions that help them fight more effectively,” the officer said.

At the same time, a lack of combat experience does not automatically lead to the dismissal of General Staff officers.

As the UP’s source noted, some military personnel may be assigned to serve directly with the troops. Instead, the plan is to select officers for positions in the General Staff who have up-to-date practical experience carrying out combat missions.

Thus, the personnel review aims to strengthen the link between the General Staff and the units that directly carry out missions on the front lines.

Separately, by October 2, General Staff officers who are eligible for discharge and retirement must decide on their future plans.

According to a source speaking to UP, Mykhailo Drapaty’s decision has already sparked some resistance among a portion of the military personnel.

Some officers, the source claims, are attempting through various channels to avoid a possible transfer or to resolve the issue of their future assignment through the Chief of the General Staff.

Meanwhile, personnel reviews at the General Staff are ongoing, and heads of structural units must provide relevant information regarding the officer and general corps within the established timeframe.

This was reported by one of the General Staff officers.

As a reminder, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatiy recently rescinded more than 30 General Staff orders that were no longer relevant. The documents regulated the training of military personnel and required a significant amount of formal reporting.

Russian troops have advanced to within less than 15 km of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk—key cities in Ukraine’s “belt of fortresses” in the Donetsk region. In anticipation of a difficult fall, the Ukrainian command is strengthening the region’s defenses and bringing in experienced commanders to organize them.