The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

The article explored the critical issue of the axiological transformation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amidst an existential confrontation, where the discrepancy between declared Alliance standards and deep-seated post-Soviet management habits acts as a barrier to combat effectiveness. The aim of the study was a comprehensive analysis of the causes of institutional resistance within the Ukrainian military environment toward foreign value models, and a search for an optimal synthesis of Western rationalism with the national combat ethos. To achieve these objectives, the study employed a comparative analysis of the axiological matrices of the U.S. Army, NATO, and the Russian Armed Forces, alongside a content analysis of the regulatory framework and a systematisation of modern scientific approaches to the “human factor” in high-intensity conflicts. The research results indicated that the primary obstacle to reform lies in the rift between the culture of trust, inherent in the Mission Command system, and the domestic “statutory terror”, which paralyses officer initiative through the fear of legal liability. The authors demonstrated that digitalisation of the battlefield, in the absence of ethical transformation, has led to the emergence of “digital micromanagement”, which nullifies the role of the sergeant corps and reproduces totalitarian control models. It was found that the widespread “cargo cult” of NATO, limited to external attributes, is incapable of overcoming the “culture of shame” that compels commanders to distort reporting to preserve their reputation before leadership. Furthermore, it was established that while brotherhood (pobratymstvo) is a unique resource for Ukrainian resilience, it requires formalisation within a meritocratic framework to avoid favouritism and cronyism. The study argued that renewing personnel based solely on age is a risky move; without changing the evaluation system, young leaders tend to mimic the toxic behavioural patterns of the older generation for the sake of career survival. The authors proposed a concept for a modern Ukrainian military culture that integrates Western accountability with Ukrainian adaptability and creativity. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential application for reforming the military legal system – specifically the legalisation of combat risk – and for developing new psychological support programmes for personnel focused on fostering leader autonomy

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