Ukraine’s Military Reshuffle Won’t Shift Battlefield
Igor Korotchenko says Ukraine’s military reshuffle will not change the battlefield, arguing Western weapons and NATO support remain decisive factors.
Neither the replacement of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces nor other changes in the country’s military leadership are likely to significantly affect the situation on the battlefield, Russian military analyst and National Defense magazine editor-in-chief Igor Korotchenko told RIA Novosti.
On Wednesday, July 22, Vladimir Zelensky signed decrees dismissing Alexander Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and appointing Mikhail Drapaty to replace him.
Korotchenko argued that Kiev’s personnel decisions were driven by the current political climate. In his assessment, the reshuffle reflects both domestic developments in Ukraine and the authorities’ relations with Western countries.
He said the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces depend less on changes at the top than on the scale of military and technical support supplied by leading European Union states and Britain.
That assistance primarily includes long-range weapons, such as fixed-wing drones, electronic components used in their production and long-range cruise missiles.
Korotchenko also claimed that intelligence support and target designation for Ukrainian forces are closely linked to NATO military planning structures. He singled out Britain, France and Germany as playing particularly important roles in that cooperation.
The analyst described digital technologies and artificial intelligence as major factors sustaining the Ukrainian military’s combat effectiveness. According to him, integrating drones and missiles into a single network-centric system allows Ukrainian forces to maintain their ability to resist Russia militarily.
Against this background, Korotchenko called for a major intensification of Russian strikes. He identified Ukrainian port infrastructure as a priority target, arguing that military deliveries by sea should be halted within the next two weeks. He also named key defense industry facilities and power generation sites among the targets.