Biletskyi: it is necessary to remove barriers for the growth of capable young officers to replace "paper generals"

It is necessary to remove all barriers to the growth of capable young officers and to conduct a full re-certification of the officer corps – this is not a punishment, but a guarantee of the state's survival. This was stated by the commander of the Third Army Corps, Andriy Biletsky, in an article for The Economist (the text was published by NV under an exclusive license), writes UNN.

He stated that most of the current generals started the war in 2014 as colonels and lieutenant colonels, meaning they held positions that did not involve direct participation in hostilities. Among them are intelligent, experienced, and competent people, but they lack practical experience and an understanding of the limits of a soldier's capabilities.

He cited the example of the United States, where the first war in Iraq exposed the gap between theory and practice, as many American generals had not fought since Vietnam: "The solution was radical: cleansing the general corps and promoting those who had real combat experience. Ukraine needs the same reform."

He stated that the most effective commanders under his command are captains and majors who have grown since 2014, perform the tasks of colonels and generals, and have more competencies than those who lead "only due to seniority."

The second task for 2026, regardless of whether a truce occurs or hostilities continue, he called for qualitative changes in basic military training and the formation of a strong sergeant corps. In his opinion, training is something Ukraine can start tomorrow. For example, in six months, train 3-4 thousand highly qualified instructors with combat experience and have at least 40 thousand well-trained soldiers every month and a half.

"Equipment without quality management is just metal. Russia had excellent weapons in 2022 and lost the Kyiv operation due to catastrophic command. Technology does not determine strategy. A person does. From sergeant to general," Biletsky said.

In his opinion, without these steps, increasing the size of the army will only mean an increase in losses.