The future of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Oleksandr Kozenko discusses recruitment of new personnel with combat pilots

Deputy Minister of Defence for Aviation Development, Oleksandr Kozenko, met with pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Colonel Oleksandr Diakiv, Commander of Aviation and Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The event, which took the form of an open dialogue, was devoted to discussing the future of military aviation, the role of pilots in transformation processes, recruitment of new personnel, and promoting the pilot profession.

The event was facilitated by the Reform Support Office at the Ministry of Defence.

Oleksandr Kozenko opened the event by thanking the pilots for their significant contribution to the defence of Ukrainian skies and expressing condolences over the recent loss of their comrade, Maksym Ustymenko.

He reported on the status of reform and capability build-up of the aviation component of the Defence Forces and outlined a vision for the future of the Air Force as a high-tech structure aiming to significantly enhance its combat potential and train a new generation of pilots.

The Deputy Minister also emphasised the importance of retraining personnel in the context of the gradual transition from Soviet to Western aviation platforms, as well as the formation of a personnel reserve for the Air Force.

"The future means building a reserve of people who want to serve in the Air Force and who will enter and study at specialised institutions. We are currently considering increasing the number of state-funded places to expand our capacity for graduate intake,” said Oleksandr Kozenko.

During the discussion, pilots shared their thoughts on practical aspects and effective strategies for recruitment new personnel to the Air Force. These included revising contract terms for pilots, establishing a specialised recruitment centre, promoting the profession of military pilot and raising public awareness of the contribution of military aviation pilots to the defence of the country.