Brigadier General Biletsky on Reforms in the Army: Incompetent Officers are Being Transferred to the Infantry.

According to ТСН: Commander of the Third Army Corps, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commented on the decision of the new commander of the 125th separate mechanized brigade to transfer ineffective officers to the infantry.

Earlier, relatives of the servicemen of the 125th brigade reported numerous cases of their loved ones going missing during battles in the Zaporizhzhia direction, emphasizing that inadequately prepared soldiers were sent into combat.

New Commander and Reforms

Biletsky appointed Volodymyr Fokin as the new commander of the brigade, who previously led one of the assault battalions of the Third Assault Brigade. Recently, Fokin reported on the first steps of the reforms: he started systematic work with the families of servicemen, launched a hotline, and conducted knowledge assessments for officers.

“Over the course of a month, officers had the opportunity to demonstrate their professional level. I assigned them practical tasks, monitored discipline, initiative, and willingness to work on themselves. At the end of this period, we conducted a re-evaluation to see the real dynamics. The results turned out to be varied. Some officers showed a high level of training and responsibility, but there were also those who treated service carelessly, did not strive to improve, and did not fulfill their duties properly,” said the commander.

From the officers who failed to meet their assigned tasks, detachments were formed and sent to Kupiansk, where there was a need for additional support due to the challenging situation and the need to improve defense.

Analyst Insights

Blogger Naumovych considers this decision a practical implementation of the reforms that Biletsky wrote about in an article for The Economist. He emphasized the importance of replacing ineffective officers with young specialists who have combat experience.

“Perhaps, [the personnel of the 125th Separate Mechanized Brigade] saw fairness and responsibility in their brigade for the first time. If you cannot handle the officer position, do not want to learn, demand from soldiers what you have no idea about, — you go to the infantry and show how it should be done. A very good idea! How else to understand practice if you are just a theorist? And how else to combine theory and practice? Perfect!” wrote Naumovych.

According to the blogger, this decision set a precedent for the Ukrainian army, which must rid itself of untouchable Soviet-style officers and prioritize effective, intellectual, and proactive professional military personnel. “Doing the same at the level of generals is elementary. There would be a desire to replace old lazybones and fools with capable youth,” he added.

These changes in the command structure and approaches to evaluating the officer corps could affect the overall effectiveness of brigades and enhance the morale of the military. Analysts' reactions indicate that this could be the beginning of serious reforms in the Ukrainian army aimed at increasing accountability and professionalism among commanders.