New commander-in-chief names priorities for Army development

That’s according to the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

On July 31, while introducing other newly-appointed senior officials, including Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Yevhen Moisyuk, Chief of the General Staff Major General Serhiy Shaptal, and Commander of the Medical Forces Colonel Tetiana Ostashchenko, Zaluzhny outlined the priority tasks for the near future.

"The general course of reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine in accordance with NATO principles and standards remains irreversible. And the key here is the principles. Changes must take place first of all in the worldview and attitude to people. I would like you to face the people, your subordinates. My attitude to people hasn’t changed throughout my time in service,” the commander-in-chief emphasized.

He also stressed as priority social protection of servicemen and their families, as well as the importance of continuing the reform of monetary and personnel support.

In the context of defense reform, the commander-in-chief voiced the following tasks to be pursued by Army leadership:

• Continued transformation of the system of joint leadership of defense forces and military management of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Acquisition by military authorities of full operational capabilities in new organizational structures (J, G, A, N, S);
• Development and implementation in all areas of operations of standards and procedures adopted by NATO Allies;
• Ensuring direct participation of NATO Partner countries in operational training at strategic and operational levels, including through practical events;
• Raising the level of professional skills among personnel;
• Ensuring that the servicemen master the English language; and
• Development of the sergeant corps.

"The main tasks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in repelling and deterring Russian armed aggression are to maintain military units at appropriate levels of combat readiness, staffing them with professional and motivated personnel, equipping them with modern weapons and military hardware, clarifying basic documents for defense planning and doctrinal documents on the use of forces," the major general emphasized.

It is also important to develop a system of territorial defense and resistance within the framework of comprehensive defense, the commander-in-chief noted.

Zaluzhny also said that every effort will be made to establish effective cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the interests of the development of the Armed Forces.

"The whole set of measures that had been planned previously must be implemented. In particular, holding a military parade at the appropriate level on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence, as well as strategic command and staff exercise Joint Effort 2021," he added.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on July 27, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Valeriy Zaluzhny Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, having dismissed Ruslan Khomchak from this post.

In turn, Khomchak was appointed First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

im