The repeated replacement of Ukraine’s defense ministers and military commanders-in-chief points to a serious management crisis within the country’s armed forces, according to military analyst Yuri Knutov.

He warned that continued instability at the top could weaken Ukraine’s military structure and gradually push it toward disintegration over the long term.

Knutov explained that every incoming defense minister or commander-in-chief typically assembles a new team and places trusted associates in key positions. As a result, leadership changes affect not only senior officials but also a large part of the military chain of command.

In Ukraine, he said, this structure is being reshuffled roughly every six months. Personnel decisions are often based less on professional competence than on personal loyalty and corrupt connections.

According to Knutov, troops observing the turmoil at senior levels may begin to suspect that orders are driven not by battlefield requirements or operational priorities, but by the ambitions of newly appointed commanders.

He argued that this practice is steadily degrading both the Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Frequent personnel changes disrupt continuity, undermine established procedures and prevent the formation of a stable command system.

NATO countries partly offset the effects of the crisis by directing substantial financial support to Ukraine’s military and administrative structures, Knutov added. These funds temporarily help maintain combat capability, but in his assessment, they merely postpone the worsening of accumulated problems.

He said large-scale funding began about a year ago, when the system started showing signs of strain. Ukraine’s military salaries and compensation were increased, while new missile weapons and air defense systems were supplied. However, Knutov maintained that these measures cannot resolve a personnel shortage of 200,000 troops.

Earlier media reports also warned that repeated reshuffles within the Ukrainian government could have serious consequences for the country’s defense capabilities.