Ukraine’s military leadership plans to expand basic military training to two months to improve soldiers’ readiness and safety, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on December 27.

The initiative follows consultation with the General Staff, branch commanders and heads of individual combat units.

“We are currently working to create the conditions for the training to last 2 months in total. High-quality training means, first of all, the preservation of the life and health of our soldiers,” Syrskyi said.

He noted that recent graduates completed a revised one-and-a-half month training, an improvement from the previous standard of 30 days.

Even if 5 to 14 additional days of training within military units are planned, battlefield conditions have sometimes limited this approach.

Syrsky stressed the importance of addressing training challenges and updating basic military training standards to meet current needs.

These efforts complement broader reforms carried out under the Mykhailo Drapatyiappointed commander of Ukrainian ground forces on December 12.

Drapatyi’s vision includes the transformation of Land Forces into an “elite” military unit by modernizing training programs, integrating cutting-edge technologies and prioritizing social support for the military.

In July, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the army suffered from a lack of training facilities for new soldiers, citing the Ukrainian army.

The planned changes aim to improve the efficiency of Ukrainian forces as they continue to face intense hostilities.

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