Commander Shapovalov: three priorities for strengthening Ukraine’s Ground Forces

The Ukrainian Ground Forces need to strengthen three key areas: personnel recruitment, training, and technology.

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Lieutenant General Hennadii Shapovalov, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“First is high-quality personnel recruitment, which is part of my ongoing personnel policy. Second is training – systematic, high-quality, and grounded in the realities dictated by the battlefield and actual combat experience. This applies to soldiers, sergeants, and all levels of command – tactical, operational, and strategic. Third is technology: developing all modern capabilities, including drones, electronic warfare, engineering, and automated command systems. These are the three main pillars we are currently building,” Shapovalov explained.

When asked about the army of the future, he emphasized that it should be a force that maximizes the use of technology, capable of countering numerically superior opponents. Each unit must be fully equipped to carry out its missions and protect the country and its people.

“This is an army with a professional sergeant corps, which forms the foundation of resilience. It is an army where commanders make decisions based on maximum real-time information, supported by a command system that allows rapid response to changing circumstances. This is an army that every strategic partner would want as an ally and one that any potential aggressor will carefully consider before attempting an attack,” Shapovalov said.

He added that the size of the army should not be determined by emotion but by a strategic assessment of threats. Planning must consider the challenges Ukraine may face in the coming years, the level of danger posed by potential adversaries, realistic scenarios, consultations with partners, and the country’s economic capacity.

As reported, Hennadii Shapovalov was appointed Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 16, 2025 (Presidential Decree No. 412/2025).