Very interesting article. I would love to hear more about how Ukraine reformed itself before and during the war, how USA and NATO helped, and what USA and NATO can learn from Ukraine going forward.
Hi Michael, there are a couple of lessons I think NATO can learn that probably deserve a full article all its own, but first, agility beats size. Ukraine proved that leaner, adaptable structures can outperform larger, rigid ones. Second, technology has to move from lab to frontline VERY quickly. Volunteer coders armed with duct tape and office PCs built tools that NATO committees would still be debating. Finally, the human element matters most. Ukrainian commanders learned to think laterally, delegate authority, and improvise, skills NATO sometimes underestimates in its highly standardized playbook. In the US, special operations has the Ukrainian-level of flexibility, but for the rank and file troops, doctrine has turned to dogma.
It is crazy that we have gotten to the point where an Eastern European military is better able to “think laterally, delegate authority, and improvise” than Western militaries. That used to be our strength.
In WWII, the Germans thought US soldiers were crazy because, in the absence of orders, the default position was attack. For most other European armies at the time, in the absence of orders, a unit goes defensive. I think Ukraine has taken that torch proudly into the 21st Century. Attack!
Isn’t this backwards? My understanding was that in spite of the totalitarian politics, decision making in the Wermacht was pushed down to the level of NCOs and the rule of thumb was always to disrupt the enemy’s plan by getting and staying inside the enemy’s “information/decision loop” (sorry if that’s the wrong phrase; I’m an amateur; I think I’m remembering this from Dupuy’s A Genius For War: The German Army And General Staff, 1807–1945).
British troops training Ukrainians in the UK freely admit that training is constantly evolving to reflect feedback from Ukraine. It stopped being a one way exercise a long time ago.
Given how many countries are involved in training that two way street probably spreads more widely than is publicised.
When you say “ training is constantly evolving to reflect feedback from Ukraine,” do you mean that training of British soldiers is changing or that British training of Ukrainian soldiers is changing?
I’m not sure how long the British Army has been training Ukrainian troops but it long predates the “special operation”. It’s those trainers I’m referring to. But do you seriously imagine tips the Ukrainians pass on aren’t circulated through the British forces? Indeed I’d be surprised if there isn’t already a NATO mechanism for doing so
I am sure that tips are circulating, but military bureaucracies are very hard to change. I am skeptical that there have been fundamental changes to how British soldiers have been trained from 2021 to 2025. I know the USMC is completely overhauling their Advanced Infantry Training, but I think that initiative started before 2022, and the threat from China was the key catalyst.
Wes, fantastic article. I’ve been waiting for this. I would double down on your sentiment to say that Ukraine has been misperceived as a drag on the West when from a strategic perspective it is a top asset. We have so much to learn from their unbelievably nimble tactics and fierce determination. You said it: we should be grateful students. Thank you again for sharing your insights.
"Ukrainian veterans will be teaching classes at West Point". I'm fairly certain, that at the macro level at least probably NATO SF are a l ready king trained by their Ukrainian counterparts who have demonstrated a remarkable attitude for those types of shenanigans.
And given the high level of contacts between Ukraine & Western governments like the UK there are almost certainly feedback systems into the training being provided by UK, Canada & others to maintain battlefield relevance in the trenches
Ukrainians successfully neutralized several drones in the airspace of Denmark.
This happened during the exchange of combat experience as part of the visit of the Ukrainian delegation.
Our specialists in countering strike UAVs launched the "Sting" interceptor drone, which accurately destroyed the Danish "Banshee."
Representatives from various European countries were invited to the demonstration of the shootdown, where they had the opportunity to see firsthand the effectiveness of Ukrainian solutions in combating aerial threats.
The shootdown was recorded on video, and after the demonstration, Ukrainian UAV pilots received dozens of questions from foreign colleagues.
Ukraine continues to train Europeans to counter new challenges. Together we strengthen Europe's defense capability!
I hope that the NATO/EU nations' military leaders are watching and learning from Ukraine's experience, now that they have woken up to the fact that Russia has its eyes on reclaiming Eastern Europe as well as Ukraine.
Hi Rob, the revival of corps-level command in Ukraine was a result of the pressure of war exposing the flaws in the old structure. That said, leadership shifts absolutely accelerated the process. I remember watching the little green men Russian invasion in 2014 and watching Ukraine's military fold very quickly. They later regrouped and put together a pretty stiff resistance in the Donbas. I called it Europe's forgotten war... until 2022.
When Zaluzhnyi became Commander-in-Chief in 2021, he brought a very different mindset than some of his predecessors. Where earlier generals had often leaned on Soviet-era rigidity, Zaluzhnyi understood that Ukraine needed NATO-style joint operations, corps-level flexibility, and decentralized decision-making. He had already been involved in reforms like Order No. 141 back in 2019, so he was primed to reintroduce corps headquarters once the invasion exposed the chaos of trying to manage dozens of brigades from a thin operational layer.
The war itself forced the issue. By mid-2022, brigade commanders were overloaded, senior generals were micromanaging units directly, and temporary ad hoc staffs were falling apart under fire. That was unsustainable as the Russians proved trying to manage it this way themselves. The corps system was the fix because it restored a missing layer of command between strategic and tactical. The corps comeback was tied to leadership changes, but more importantly, it was tied to Ukraine finally breaking with Soviet habits. The new commanders understood that you can’t fight a 1,200-kilometer front the way you manage a peacekeeping mission in Congo. Corps headquarters gave Ukraine a NATO-like structure, but with a wartime urgency NATO itself hasn’t had to face in decades.
These changes are great to see, Wes. But still we have seen multiple incidents of successful commanders complaining or even resigning over the behavior of the "stupid generals." They demanded holding positions that were best abandoned, needlessly costing many lives. How should one think about this?.
Hi Paul, those complaints, commanders resigning, officers pushing back on orders to “hold at all costs,” are real. They reflect friction between a new, flexible corps/division structure and a handful of senior leaders who sometimes default to Soviet-style rigidity. In the Soviet mindset, territory mattered more than soldiers. You held ground even when it was tactically useless, and you bled units dry in the process. That instinct dies hard. But unlike in the Red Army, today’s Ukrainian commanders are willing to speak up, resign, or even go public about suicidal orders. That alone is a revolution. In 1942, a Soviet colonel who abandoned a position without orders would be shot. In 2025, a Ukrainian brigade commander might resign, criticize the decision, and still have a career after. That shift toward accountability and debate is a feature of Ukraine’s reform, not a flaw.
This is the information I’ve been missing. I’ve understood that Ukraine has improved and modernized its military to a tremendous degree, but didn’t know how. Thanks for filling in the blanks. The Q&A from your commentary has been helpful too. This is why I’m here 👍
This article convinced me early in the fullscale war that Ukraine had the best chances to win. Compared with the ruzzians it held more and better cards.
What an extraordinary article! Thanks very much for posting it. My first thought was one of frustration and sadness seeing what the US used to be in terms of being a team-player, compared to the current isolationist, nationalist vibe of today.
The comparison to music also caught my attention. If I may ramble a bit, I used to be a fan of Chinese opera. Still am, I guess. Anyway, what is particular about it is the tradition of exactness in the performance. Even down to position of each finger in a gesture, it must not deviate from the ancient formula. There, the concept of “interpretation” of a masterpiece by an artist or musician is unknown, and would be scandalous! So I wonder about their own military culture. I would bet now the ethos is rigid and controlled by an elite with traditional values. If the US goes to war with China, I hope they can exercise the kind of flexibility and “think-on-your-feet” capability that I am SURE the Chinese will be incapable of. I hope hegseth isn’t destroying that.
And what a credit to Ukraine to understand how forward-thinking, humble and goal-driven they’ve been. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
Thanks for this article mr wes O'Donnell, but this reform is of the former top general, now is a new general in charge, very close to zelensky and many people criticise his new form of organisation
Well, terrorism isn't exactly gone. So Nato or any combatant doctrine need both division manoveur warfare and anti terrorism gearing. The skill in which we use either this or that become the wining doctrine. Chasing pairs of infantry soldiers may by the counterterrorism lessons Europe/Nato need to learn from Ukraine as well. No doubt europe/Nato will learn more than we can ever teach Ukraine. Slave Ukraine!
Here’s another angle that lines up with what Dr. Sarah Paine talks about.
"Never put your enemy on death’s ground."
The idea is that when you push an opponent to absolute desperation, trying to wipe them out, you actually unleash a fierce will to keep fighting. Kyiv’s resilience and adaptability kinda prove that rather than folding, they’ve grown stronger from the pressure by innovating and rallying even harder.
"Never putting your enemy on death’s ground" means avoiding forcing an opponent into a situation where they have no option but to fight with maximum desperation and determination. Why? Because when backed into such a corner, people or forces fight harder and become more resistant since survival is at stake.
And the results show. Russia put Ukraine on "death's ground" at a truly horrible cost. Now the reaper favours their odds.
Finally had time to read this Wes. Excellent work, this has filled in a lot of blanks for me regards pre-2022 Ukrainian armed forces and together with the generals article, given me a fresh appreciation of where they came from 👍
Very interesting article. I would love to hear more about how Ukraine reformed itself before and during the war, how USA and NATO helped, and what USA and NATO can learn from Ukraine going forward.
Hi Michael, there are a couple of lessons I think NATO can learn that probably deserve a full article all its own, but first, agility beats size. Ukraine proved that leaner, adaptable structures can outperform larger, rigid ones. Second, technology has to move from lab to frontline VERY quickly. Volunteer coders armed with duct tape and office PCs built tools that NATO committees would still be debating. Finally, the human element matters most. Ukrainian commanders learned to think laterally, delegate authority, and improvise, skills NATO sometimes underestimates in its highly standardized playbook. In the US, special operations has the Ukrainian-level of flexibility, but for the rank and file troops, doctrine has turned to dogma.
Thanks for the reply.
It is crazy that we have gotten to the point where an Eastern European military is better able to “think laterally, delegate authority, and improvise” than Western militaries. That used to be our strength.
In WWII, the Germans thought US soldiers were crazy because, in the absence of orders, the default position was attack. For most other European armies at the time, in the absence of orders, a unit goes defensive. I think Ukraine has taken that torch proudly into the 21st Century. Attack!
But American soldiers ARE crazy!
😝
Isn’t this backwards? My understanding was that in spite of the totalitarian politics, decision making in the Wermacht was pushed down to the level of NCOs and the rule of thumb was always to disrupt the enemy’s plan by getting and staying inside the enemy’s “information/decision loop” (sorry if that’s the wrong phrase; I’m an amateur; I think I’m remembering this from Dupuy’s A Genius For War: The German Army And General Staff, 1807–1945).
British troops training Ukrainians in the UK freely admit that training is constantly evolving to reflect feedback from Ukraine. It stopped being a one way exercise a long time ago.
Given how many countries are involved in training that two way street probably spreads more widely than is publicised.
When you say “ training is constantly evolving to reflect feedback from Ukraine,” do you mean that training of British soldiers is changing or that British training of Ukrainian soldiers is changing?
I’m not sure how long the British Army has been training Ukrainian troops but it long predates the “special operation”. It’s those trainers I’m referring to. But do you seriously imagine tips the Ukrainians pass on aren’t circulated through the British forces? Indeed I’d be surprised if there isn’t already a NATO mechanism for doing so
I am sure that tips are circulating, but military bureaucracies are very hard to change. I am skeptical that there have been fundamental changes to how British soldiers have been trained from 2021 to 2025. I know the USMC is completely overhauling their Advanced Infantry Training, but I think that initiative started before 2022, and the threat from China was the key catalyst.
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/04/21/heres-what-the-corps-new-school-of-infantry-training-looks-like/
Typically, it takes a huge military defeat to force militaries to rethink their standard practices.
Your comment also highlights the value of allies. Sharing and building strength across a united force.
Wes, fantastic article. I’ve been waiting for this. I would double down on your sentiment to say that Ukraine has been misperceived as a drag on the West when from a strategic perspective it is a top asset. We have so much to learn from their unbelievably nimble tactics and fierce determination. You said it: we should be grateful students. Thank you again for sharing your insights.
"Ukrainian veterans will be teaching classes at West Point". I'm fairly certain, that at the macro level at least probably NATO SF are a l ready king trained by their Ukrainian counterparts who have demonstrated a remarkable attitude for those types of shenanigans.
And given the high level of contacts between Ukraine & Western governments like the UK there are almost certainly feedback systems into the training being provided by UK, Canada & others to maintain battlefield relevance in the trenches
Well said, Simon
Ukrainians successfully neutralized several drones in the airspace of Denmark.
This happened during the exchange of combat experience as part of the visit of the Ukrainian delegation.
Our specialists in countering strike UAVs launched the "Sting" interceptor drone, which accurately destroyed the Danish "Banshee."
Representatives from various European countries were invited to the demonstration of the shootdown, where they had the opportunity to see firsthand the effectiveness of Ukrainian solutions in combating aerial threats.
The shootdown was recorded on video, and after the demonstration, Ukrainian UAV pilots received dozens of questions from foreign colleagues.
Ukraine continues to train Europeans to counter new challenges. Together we strengthen Europe's defense capability!
An astonishing assessment and one that promises the only just outcome for this war of Russia’s making. Слава Україні!
I hope that the NATO/EU nations' military leaders are watching and learning from Ukraine's experience, now that they have woken up to the fact that Russia has its eyes on reclaiming Eastern Europe as well as Ukraine.
Wes, was the revival of a corp structure connected to the change in army commanders?
Hi Rob, the revival of corps-level command in Ukraine was a result of the pressure of war exposing the flaws in the old structure. That said, leadership shifts absolutely accelerated the process. I remember watching the little green men Russian invasion in 2014 and watching Ukraine's military fold very quickly. They later regrouped and put together a pretty stiff resistance in the Donbas. I called it Europe's forgotten war... until 2022.
When Zaluzhnyi became Commander-in-Chief in 2021, he brought a very different mindset than some of his predecessors. Where earlier generals had often leaned on Soviet-era rigidity, Zaluzhnyi understood that Ukraine needed NATO-style joint operations, corps-level flexibility, and decentralized decision-making. He had already been involved in reforms like Order No. 141 back in 2019, so he was primed to reintroduce corps headquarters once the invasion exposed the chaos of trying to manage dozens of brigades from a thin operational layer.
The war itself forced the issue. By mid-2022, brigade commanders were overloaded, senior generals were micromanaging units directly, and temporary ad hoc staffs were falling apart under fire. That was unsustainable as the Russians proved trying to manage it this way themselves. The corps system was the fix because it restored a missing layer of command between strategic and tactical. The corps comeback was tied to leadership changes, but more importantly, it was tied to Ukraine finally breaking with Soviet habits. The new commanders understood that you can’t fight a 1,200-kilometer front the way you manage a peacekeeping mission in Congo. Corps headquarters gave Ukraine a NATO-like structure, but with a wartime urgency NATO itself hasn’t had to face in decades.
Thanks for the explication!
These changes are great to see, Wes. But still we have seen multiple incidents of successful commanders complaining or even resigning over the behavior of the "stupid generals." They demanded holding positions that were best abandoned, needlessly costing many lives. How should one think about this?.
Hi Paul, those complaints, commanders resigning, officers pushing back on orders to “hold at all costs,” are real. They reflect friction between a new, flexible corps/division structure and a handful of senior leaders who sometimes default to Soviet-style rigidity. In the Soviet mindset, territory mattered more than soldiers. You held ground even when it was tactically useless, and you bled units dry in the process. That instinct dies hard. But unlike in the Red Army, today’s Ukrainian commanders are willing to speak up, resign, or even go public about suicidal orders. That alone is a revolution. In 1942, a Soviet colonel who abandoned a position without orders would be shot. In 2025, a Ukrainian brigade commander might resign, criticize the decision, and still have a career after. That shift toward accountability and debate is a feature of Ukraine’s reform, not a flaw.
This is the information I’ve been missing. I’ve understood that Ukraine has improved and modernized its military to a tremendous degree, but didn’t know how. Thanks for filling in the blanks. The Q&A from your commentary has been helpful too. This is why I’m here 👍
This article convinced me early in the fullscale war that Ukraine had the best chances to win. Compared with the ruzzians it held more and better cards.
https://www.thebulwark.com/i-commanded-u-s-army-europe-heres-what-i-saw-in-the-russian-and-ukrainian-armies/
What an extraordinary article! Thanks very much for posting it. My first thought was one of frustration and sadness seeing what the US used to be in terms of being a team-player, compared to the current isolationist, nationalist vibe of today.
The comparison to music also caught my attention. If I may ramble a bit, I used to be a fan of Chinese opera. Still am, I guess. Anyway, what is particular about it is the tradition of exactness in the performance. Even down to position of each finger in a gesture, it must not deviate from the ancient formula. There, the concept of “interpretation” of a masterpiece by an artist or musician is unknown, and would be scandalous! So I wonder about their own military culture. I would bet now the ethos is rigid and controlled by an elite with traditional values. If the US goes to war with China, I hope they can exercise the kind of flexibility and “think-on-your-feet” capability that I am SURE the Chinese will be incapable of. I hope hegseth isn’t destroying that.
And what a credit to Ukraine to understand how forward-thinking, humble and goal-driven they’ve been. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
Thanks for this article mr wes O'Donnell, but this reform is of the former top general, now is a new general in charge, very close to zelensky and many people criticise his new form of organisation
Well, terrorism isn't exactly gone. So Nato or any combatant doctrine need both division manoveur warfare and anti terrorism gearing. The skill in which we use either this or that become the wining doctrine. Chasing pairs of infantry soldiers may by the counterterrorism lessons Europe/Nato need to learn from Ukraine as well. No doubt europe/Nato will learn more than we can ever teach Ukraine. Slave Ukraine!
Here’s another angle that lines up with what Dr. Sarah Paine talks about.
"Never put your enemy on death’s ground."
The idea is that when you push an opponent to absolute desperation, trying to wipe them out, you actually unleash a fierce will to keep fighting. Kyiv’s resilience and adaptability kinda prove that rather than folding, they’ve grown stronger from the pressure by innovating and rallying even harder.
"Never putting your enemy on death’s ground" means avoiding forcing an opponent into a situation where they have no option but to fight with maximum desperation and determination. Why? Because when backed into such a corner, people or forces fight harder and become more resistant since survival is at stake.
And the results show. Russia put Ukraine on "death's ground" at a truly horrible cost. Now the reaper favours their odds.
Finally had time to read this Wes. Excellent work, this has filled in a lot of blanks for me regards pre-2022 Ukrainian armed forces and together with the generals article, given me a fresh appreciation of where they came from 👍