Oleksandr Syrskyi at a briefing. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Facebook
As reported by the media Ukrainian Pravda
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has made personnel decisions related to the command of two Defence Forces corps. According to defence sources, he dismissed the leaders of the 17th and 20th corps.
Volodymyr Silenko, who headed the 17th corps, and Maxim Kitugin – the commander of the 20th corps – were suspended from their posts. The reason cited was allegedly the loss of positions in the zones of responsibility of the respective units.
The 17th Corps is located in the Zaporizhzhia region, where during the recent operations Ukrainian forces suffered losses in some populated settlements. The 20th Corps operates at the junction of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where, according to frontline conditions, the situation remained tense in certain directions.
These personnel decisions marked the first since the Defence Forces shifted to a corps-based system at the end of 2024: now the management of several brigades is carried out under a single corps command.
The corps are responsible for coordinating and commanding the subordinate units in their zones of responsibility; there have been no official comments from the Ministry of Defense or their press services yet. The Defense Ministry emphasizes that the changes are systemic in nature and related to restructuring and personnel policy.
Context of Reforms in the Defence Forces
The transition to a corps-based model has been the final phase of the restructuring that unites the management of several units under a single command. Such steps aim to enhance coordination, speed of action, and combat readiness of the Defence Forces across different regions.
Implications for the Front and Next Steps
Analysts point to signals of systemic restructuring of command to more effectively utilize resources and strengthen interaction between units. Although official comments have not yet been issued, the process of implementing the corps-based model continues with an emphasis on personnel policy and optimization of management.
In the future, such personnel decisions could influence the operational balance in frontline regions and ensure more coordinated interaction among Defence Forces units, in line with reform goals and improved combat readiness.
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