In a recent interview with Radio NV, Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of the 3rd Army Corps, addressed the wave of misinformation currently swirling around the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Zhorin described the ongoing reports of internal friction between Drapatyi and other high-ranking officials as entirely fabricated—part of a deliberate information war aimed at destabilizing the military leadership. He urged the public to exercise patience rather than buying into sensationalist headlines, noting that creating artificial pressure and unrealistic expectations serves only to weaken the military’s focus. According to Zhorin, while the new leadership is moving quickly to grasp the scale of the front-line challenges, it is fundamentally unfair to judge a commander’s effectiveness before they have had the time to implement their own strategic vision.
Zhorin outlined a clear roadmap for the immediate priorities facing the high command, identifying combat training, mobilization efficiency, supply chain integrity, and a shift in how forces are deployed as the most pressing issues. He acknowledged that while the conversation often shifts toward the idea of offloading the burden of mobilization to other institutions, the military must retain primary responsibility for recruitment. However, he emphasized that this goes beyond mere administrative changes; it requires a deep, systematic overhaul of how draft centers interact with society. This includes fostering better communication, improving the internal culture of service, and ensuring that those who violate the law or engage in corruption face clear, public consequences. For Zhorin, reforming mobilization is not a matter of finding a “magic wand,” but rather building a sustainable system that people can trust.
The conversation eventually turned to the persistent issue of corruption within the Ministry of Defense, a problem Zhorin described as deeply demoralizing to the soldiers on the ground. When a fighter realizes that the equipment provided for their safety is substandard, or that food and vital supplies have been siphoned off by corrupt actors, it strikes at the heart of military morale. Zhorin stressed that the only way to mitigate these risks is through a firm, principled approach to procurement that prioritizes quality and market-accurate pricing, backed by strict accountability for those who seek to profit from the war effort. He argued that public, severe punishments for procurement scandals are not just about justice—they are essential for restoring the confidence of the infantrymen who carry the burden of the conflict.
Moving to the topic of personnel changes, Zhorin defended the right of a new commander to build a core team they can actually rely on. He drew a parallel to his own experience in the 3rd Army Corps, where internal audits of commander competency allowed for necessary structural improvements. If a leader inherits an organizational bottleneck, they must have the autonomy to replace those who lack the necessary initiative or responsibility. This professional flexibility, he noted, is vital if we expect leaders to be held accountable for results in the long run. By allowing the new Commander-in-Chief to appoint personnel who share his operational philosophy, the military increases the likelihood of creating a high-functioning, cohesive command structure capable of achieving strategic objectives.
Zhorin also highlighted the importance of modernizing military philosophy, particularly through the adoption of flexible, NATO-integrated command structures like the “battle captain” system. This approach allows junior officers or NCOs—the people closest to the actual fighting—to make critical, time-sensitive decisions without waiting for top-down approval. He noted that while the “old guard” once viewed this as a threat to traditional hierarchy, its efficacy has been proven on the battlefield. By empowering non-commissioned officers and reducing the administrative burden on commanders, the military can operate with greater speed and precision. Zhorin believes this model should be scaled out across all units, ensuring that successful innovations are not trapped in silos but shared to bolster the fighting capacity of the entire Armed Forces.
Ultimately, Zhorin emphasized that while the military is a massive, complex organization, it is susceptible to the same principles of growth and efficiency found in any high-stakes sector. Through a combination of rigorous after-action analysis, the integration of new technologies like unmanned ground systems, and a transparent dialogue between the leadership and commanders who are achieving results on the field, the military can continuously improve. He noted that the initial lines of communication between Drapatyi and these successful unit leaders are already open. As the new commander settles into his role, the focus must remain on these functional, ground-level improvements rather than the noise of rumor-mongering, as the former is exactly what will lead to victory.