Key facts
- Ukraine's General Staff is conducting an audit of combat unit staffing and manpower allocation.
- The audit is led by the newly appointed commander, General Mykhailo Drapatyi.
- The move addresses long-standing criticisms regarding the distribution of mobilized recruits.
- Former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was dismissed due to these criticisms and other factors.
- The audit aims to improve personnel management and combat readiness.
Ukraine's General Staff has initiated an audit of combat unit staffing and manpower allocation, a move spearheaded by its new commander, General Mykhailo Drapatyi. This strategic review follows significant public and internal criticism directed at the previous leadership, particularly Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, for the perceived mismanagement of scarce mobilized recruits.
Under Syrskyi's tenure, there were widespread concerns that newly formed brigades and assault units, often criticized for ineffectiveness and abuses, received a disproportionate share of new personnel. This allegedly left regular mechanized brigades critically short of essential replenishments, exacerbating Ukraine's ongoing manpower crisis. Syrskyi, who was dismissed on July 21, had defended the allocation by citing the heavy losses incurred by assault units during difficult operations.
The newly appointed General Drapatyi, who has a reputation for a human-centric approach to leadership, is expected to address these internal issues. The stated goal of the audit is to assess the actual manning levels within brigades, regiments, and corps, analyze the effectiveness of personnel distribution, and identify improvements in personnel management. The General Staff emphasized that systemic changes in the army begin with a shift in attitude towards soldiers, aiming to increase combat readiness and ensure a more rational use of human capital.
This is not the first attempt to address manpower allocation challenges. In November 2025, presidential advisor Pavlo Palisa led a similar assessment, and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had also announced an audit of battlefield losses, suggesting ongoing friction over personnel management strategies. Ukraine's military has faced a chronic manpower crisis since 2024, marked by high infantry losses and a decline in voluntary enlistment.