**Ukraine to Review Ground Forces Command**
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry will conduct a comprehensive review of the Ground Forces command. The review aims to evaluate management structures, processes, and compliance with legislation. This comes after plans were unveiled for fundamental reforms to strengthen the branch.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that “victory requires a deep analysis of experience” and that the review will provide newly appointed Ground Forces Commander General Mykhailo Drapatyi with a full picture of the state of affairs in the Ground Forces. The announcement was made on January 2.
The review’s findings will inform reforms in personnel policies, optimize management processes, and improve combat capabilities with new training approaches. This includes revamping the recruitment system, which will have zero tolerance for corruption, enhanced front-line training, and integration of advanced technology into operations.
**Reforms to Strengthen Ground Forces**
Ground Forces Commander General Mykhailo Drapatyi’s proposed changes include:
* Revamping the recruitment system
* Enhanced front-line training
* Integration of advanced technology into operations
These reforms come amid reported personnel shortages, with slow mobilization efforts leaving some front-line units undermanned. Drapatyi has highlighted the need to reform training curricula and prioritize social support for service members to prepare for modern warfare effectively.
**Russia’s Ongoing Aggression**
Ukraine continues to face Russian aggression. On January 2, Russia launched 72 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed ones, against Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian Air Force reported on its Telegram channel.
A Russian attack overnight killed a civilian in the town of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported on his Telegram channel on January 2. This number includes 1,370 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Russia’s UAV losses included 35,670 destroyed FPV drones and 1,140 strike drones, the Navy said. Ukrainian units also eliminated 192 operational and tactical drones and another 164 Shahed-136/131 drones.
**Condolences from Ukraine**
President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to the families of two scientists who were killed in a Russian drone strike on January 1. He also expressed his support for the American people and denounced violence.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast on January 1.