Ukraine restructures military command amid missile defense shortages and NATO debate

Ukraine’s military faces operational and political challenges as newly appointed commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi moves to restructure top leadership, addressing internal management disputes highlighted by defense officials.

Meanwhile, former army chief and current ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, stated in Kyiv that Ukraine will never join NATO. Zaluzhnyi argued that the alliance relies on "tactics from World War II" and remains unprepared for modern warfare.

The operational strain was underscored by a severe overnight strike, in which Ukrainian air defenses failed to intercept 28 Russian ballistic and anti-ship missiles targeting the Kyiv region. The strikes killed 17 people and wounded 44. Officials cited critical shortages of Patriot interceptors, while analysts suggested counter-strikes on Russian launchers as a potential remedy.

Sources: Deník N, Ekonomický deník, Hospodářské noviny, Respect, Seznam Zprávy