Pivnenko: Ukraine needs more drones, better tactics, improved command, control system

Before the onset of winter, when Russian forces adapt their tactics, Ukrainian forces need to be even more active in implementing technological innovations and saturating the front line with drones in order to restrain the advance of Russian forces, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko has said in an interview with Reuters.

He said Russia is trying to maintain its superiority in manpower, but in key areas of the frontline, Kyiv and Moscow have already achieved parity in the use of drones. "It is not easy for us now. I think it will be consistently difficult ... because there is wet mud, it will be harder to drive," Pivnenko said.

Late autumn and early winter traditionally pose problems for both armies: the soil, roads and fields become soggy, making movement difficult. When the temperature drops, the ground freezes, which improves maneuverability. "We need to stop the enemy more as they approach on foot, so that they do not infiltrate, and do not let them through," he said.

"If we carry out these tasks with greater density on the front line and the enemy infiltrates less deeply, it will be better for us." It is noted that almost four years have passed since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Fierce fighting continues along more than 1,200 kilometers of the frontline. But the nature of the fighting has changed dramatically, Pivnenko says, who defended Bakhmut in the days when drones were not yet widely used. Now they constantly "hover" over positions and are ready to hit any moving target.

Bakhmut was captured in the middle of 2023 after almost a year of fierce fighting and massive artillery and missile strikes that destroyed the city. The National Guard of Ukraine units are now carrying out tasks, including in the direction of the main strike, defending Pokrovsk and countering both infantry and drones. To speed up the advance, Russian forces have changed tactics and are entering the city in small groups. Over the past few weeks, they have become more active in different areas, actively using drones for cover, reconnaissance and target destruction.

Ukraine needs to quickly implement technological changes and improve tactics to compensate for the shortage of personnel and prevent the enemy from locally breaking through the defenses, Pivnenko said. One way is to improve the coordination of "levels" of drone operations so that operators working closer to the contact line do not interfere with those working in depth.

"Defense should be echeloned," he said. "So that one unit is responsible for one thing and another for another, and so that there is no confusion in defining tasks."

As Reuters notes, Pivnenko, appointed to the position in 2023, has focused on increasing the number and range of drones in subordinate units, expanding and improving the training of recruits and mobilized servicemen, as well as supporting the morale of fighters who perform tasks at the front for a long time and experience exhaustion.

"During the war, modern war, we need to be very flexible, adaptable, and it is working. Standing still is not an option. Either act or don't," Pivnenko said.

The National Guard is one of the first components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces to almost complete the transition from a brigade structure to a corps structure, which unites several brigades. Pivnenko currently commands two corps, Azov and Khartia, some of the most famous and effective in the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

He said the reforms will strengthen defense by improving the management and interaction system. They will also provide career growth for young commanders with real combat experience. "Young commanders are more decisive, less experienced, but more determined to take action, and to change something in the situation in general. That's what they're focused on, change."