General Staff begins evaluation of 156th Brigade

In accordance with the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a comprehensive team from the General Staff, led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Colonel Oleh Apostol, has begun its work within the troops. Currently, the team is operating in the 156th Mechanized Brigade, focusing on evaluating the brigade’s formation process and providing comprehensive support in organizing and preparing for combat operations.

At present, the unit has completed personnel reinforcement and begun basic general military training under a revised program. Simultaneously, personnel selection for specialized training is underway, along with the supply of weapons and military equipment as per the plan. During the inspection, several significant shortcomings were identified, and tasks have been assigned to the Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine to address them. These include:

• Replacing part of the brigade’s leadership and appointing a commander with combat and practical experience in command positions.
• Transferring officers and sergeants with prior combat experience to the brigade to enhance the combat capabilities of the 156th Brigade.
• Improving the quality of practical exercises by incorporating lessons learned from combat operations in the east.
• Increasing the intensity and quality of training for UAV pilots and electronic warfare (EW) operators.
• Addressing several other issues that directly impact combat effectiveness.

According to the post by the General Staff, mistakes made during the formation and preparation of the 155th Brigade have been analyzed, and measures are being taken to prevent their recurrence in the future.