AFU explain decision to appoint soldiers without military education as officers

Colonel Valerii Dendebera, head of the Department for Organization of Officer Personnel of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff, said this during a media briefing. 

“This decision was primarily due to the fact that servicemen performing their duties directly on the contact line, in the conditions of intense combat operations, unfortunately, suffer losses – I mean military units. First of all, there are losses among the primary level officers,” said the colonel.

”If an officer is killed, someone has to take his place. Therefore, it was proposed that the most experienced servicemen, both privates and sergeants, who have leadership qualities, who have gained relevant combat experience, who can lead people and perform tasks in the interests of the operation, be nominated for appointment to officer positions,” he added.

According to him, the main types of manpower in the Ukrainian Armed Forces are mobilized troops and volunteers.

The colonel also noted that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, veterans were drafted first, i.e. those who had already had combat experience.