The Commander-in-Chief met with senior sergeants from combat units and tasked them with reforming the NCO corps to reflect the realities of war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this, publishing a statement by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi.

According to Mykhailo Drapatyi, most senior sergeants came to the meeting from different areas of the front, so the discussion focused not on theory but on real combat experience, systemic problems and solutions the troops need right now.

“It was an open discussion, with tough questions, brainstorming and, most importantly, a search for specific algorithms and actions that can already be implemented today,” he said.

Mykhailo Drapatyi emphasized that sergeants now play a much broader role than simply training personnel. They meet newly arrived servicemembers in combat areas, help them adapt, organize supplies, equipment and living conditions, prepare them for deployment to positions, and directly lead personnel in battle.

“A sergeant was a soldier himself yesterday. Today, he is a commander who is closest to the soldier and sees the actual state of the unit ‘on the ground’ better than anyone else,” the Commander-in-Chief emphasized.

Following the meeting, a list of key issues was compiled, and work on them is already beginning.

The priorities include:

  • improving the structure of the NCO corps;
  • expanding the authority of sergeants;
  • establishing a clearer division of responsibility between officers and NCOs;
  • improving the quality of training and creating transparent rules for appointments to NCO positions and the awarding of ranks, even under wartime conditions.

Mykhailo Drapatyi identified addressing pay issues for key NCO positions as a separate area of focus.

The Commander-in-Chief added that specific tasks have already been assigned for each of the identified areas, with those responsible and the next steps determined.

“We cannot build a modern, combat-ready NCO corps based on outdated approaches. The combat experience of our sergeants must be transformed into authority, professional development, responsibility and real opportunities to influence the training and management of the troops,” Mykhailo Drapatyi emphasized.

He stressed that a strong NCO corps is not only a matter of military careers, but also one of the key conditions for preserving personnel lives and increasing the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian military.