Creativity vs. Swagger: Expert Explains the Strengths and Current Shortcomings of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Military expert Oleh Starikov explained that for a long time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) were superior to the Russian army in tactics, but the current lack of professional commanders is becoming increasingly apparent, Politeka reports.

He discussed this on his own channel.

According to the expert, the UAF have always excelled in creativity and mobility. They conducted military operations using elements of network-centric warfare and delegated decision-making authority to the tactical level. The Russian army, he emphasizes, had nothing at the beginning of the war except for swagger — the claim of being the world’s strongest army — and sheer scale in terms of troops and equipment.

Creating a corps-level manning system for the UAF, he notes, is not even half the job — it’s a tenth of it. The main task, the expert explains, is to develop a command corps and staff officers capable of fulfilling their duties. The presence of brigade-level officers alone does not mean they are ready to take on operational-level roles — and Ukraine simply doesn't have enough of such officers.

"It would be a good idea to appoint as corps commanders and chiefs of staff those generals who were dismissed along with General Zaluzhnyi. That was exactly the level of professionalism we need. They had served in various positions and graduated from operational-tactical level academies. No army in the world treats its generals as disposable. The current political elite has no other generals. Military leadership needs to be cultivated, trained, educated, and promoted based on professional merit — not political expediency," Starikov concluded.

Latest news:

Let's remember Politeka wrote, Expert Explains Why Europe Is Providing Ukraine with War Aid: “It’s the Greatest Shield”

Politeka also informed, He became one of the brightest figures in Polish politics: Sławomir Majman talks about the new president of Poland

In addition, Politeka informed, Expert Explains Whether the West Can Destroy Russia’s Shadow Fleet