Ukraine will officially establish a separate branch of assault forces in two weeks. President Volodymyr Zelensky calls it a necessary step to reinforce the front line, but the move has split opinion among troops and analysts. Some see a logical evolution of the military; others warn of chaos and a weakened Air Assault Forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine will create assault forces in the coming two weeks. He said the assault battalions and regiments formed in 2025 have delivered strong results. Russia copied that system, which he cited as one reason to formalize Ukraine’s assault forces.
“We’re now creating separate assault forces; that decision has been made. Everything is being prepared, and I think in about a week to ten days everything will be up and running. Modern assault forces with a drone component and everything else. Of course, they already operate together today; assault regiments with the Air Assault Forces fulfill significant tasks,” Zelensky said.
Member of Parliament Maryana Bezuhla blasted Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s initiative, calling it a fake that masks the dismantling of the Air Assault Forces (DShV) and the adoption of a Russian-style “meat” approach. She alleges Syrskyi is systematically weakening the DShV to build units loyal to him that cover his mistakes at the cost of human lives.
Bezuhla argues that the Ground Forces lag behind the DShV in training and command quality, especially at senior levels. She says there’s constant competition between the branches, with the Ground Forces pressuring the DShV, trying to curb their role by limiting resources and downplaying achievements - undermining the military’s overall combat power.
She also contends the DShV have long been led by strong, charismatic commanders who build effective combat teams, and claims Syrskyi is deliberately removing such leaders. Instead of strengthening the DShV, which she calls highly capable, she says resources are being diverted to parallel structures, leading to territorial losses and casualties.
“The Commander-in-Chief hasn’t abandoned the institutional rollback of the DShV and continues a practice more akin to a Soviet-Russian approach: covering up his mistakes with the bodies of mobilized soldiers,” she concludes.
War correspondent Bohdan Myroshnykov warns that creating assault forces directly subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief could worsen things inside the military. He says a corps-level reform is underway to streamline the chain of command, reduce chaos, and avoid the ad hoc use of “attached” units. New assault forces that bypass corps and group commands would run counter to those efforts, risking a return to poor control and duplicated roles. Instead, he argues, Ukraine should develop the DShV and employ them for maneuver and airborne assaults, rather than build parallel structures.
Oleksii “Phantom” Fandetskyi, deputy commander of the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade, backs setting up a separate assault branch within the Armed Forces. He calls it a logical, overdue step that reflects how Ukraine’s military is adapting to modern war.
With grinding positional battles, he says assault battalions and regiments are pivotal—conducting assaults, counterattacks, clearing operations, and helping stabilize the line. Their effectiveness depends not just on bravery but on planning, equipment, and coordination across branches. Carving them into a dedicated branch could standardize training, tactics, and support, improving performance and reducing risks. Fandetskyi dismisses labels like “meat assaults” as harmful rhetoric that aids enemy propaganda and calls their authors “useful idiots.”
Military analyst Oleh Zhdanov is skeptical about creating a separate assault branch. He argues there’s no need since Ukraine already has the Air Assault Forces and Special Operations Forces built around commando units.
Zhdanov says he sees no clear mission for the new branch and believes it will add bureaucracy rather than boost combat power. He urges a rethink to avoid sowing confusion in the military’s structure.
