Territorial Defense Forces face shortage of specialists for new units – Commander Plakhuta

Major General Ihor Plakhuta, Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“The creation of new units for UAVs, electronic warfare, signals intelligence, air defense, and other areas requires skilled personnel. Combat units engaged in active fighting or recovery constantly need reinforcements. Therefore, the personnel shortage—especially the lack of specialists—is indeed being felt for objective reasons,” Plakhuta said.

At the same time, he noted that active work is underway to train and upskill existing personnel. The best soldiers and sergeants are sent for training, after which they are promoted to command positions—from squad leader to company commander.

“We are constantly conducting re-certification of sergeants, awarding them the initial officer rank of ‘junior lieutenant.’ This helps maintain a sufficient number of experienced commanders. Over 90% of company commander positions and more than 80% of platoon commander positions are filled. All of them are seasoned fighters and competent leaders,” Plakhuta added.

According to him, staffing levels among instructors in training units remain above 80%, sustained by service members with substantial combat experience, including those who have been reassigned due to injuries or health complications incurred under difficult conditions.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have noted a steady increase in young people eager to join the new 18–24 Contract: Drones program, including many women choosing technical specializations, among them, drone operation.

Photo: Roman Malko