Analysis: A year since its creation, Ukraine’s flawed, unfinished corps system will be key for front-line stability
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Whether or not this apparent Chinese proverb is authentic, it applies for the Ukrainian military’s corps reform as much as it does for trees. The Ukrainian leadership’s announcement in February 2025 that its Armed Forces and National Guard would transition to a corps-based command system sparked a glimmer of hope that the chronic command issues plaguing the country’s defense could be alleviated, if not solved. The ch