Drapatyi orders temporary halt to new personnel transfers into assault regiments
Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, has issued an order temporarily suspending the reinforcement of assault regiments in the Land Forces with new personnel, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing unnamed sources in four assault regiments.
According to one source, assault regiments were barred from recruiting personnel from reserve battalions and from taking in those mobilized through Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers.
Another source said the order took effect on July 26. It also prohibits transferring servicemembers into assault regiments from other units. At the same time, those who left their units without authorization before June 12 can still return to assault regiments, the report said.
Earlier, Ukraine’s General Staff announced the start of an inspection into how military units are staffed and how personnel are distributed, with the goal of identifying areas for improvement in personnel policy.
Former adviser to ex-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and volunteer Serhiy Sternenko had previously said some assault regiments had long enjoyed priority in receiving personnel. As a result, their troop numbers reportedly far exceeded the official table of organization and equipment for a regiment.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, one of those units, the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia",” was supposed to have 3,000 to 4,000 personnel, but was expanded to more than 10,000 troops.