Ukraine's six Land Forces training centers have rolled out an updated Basic General Military Training (BZVP) program built on the experience of the 151st Training Center, the Ministry of Defense announces. The 51-day course duration remains unchanged, but its structure has shifted to progressive-complexity exercises, drilled daily until automaticity.
The institutional choice matters as much as the content. The 151st Training Center is privately run and military-certified, and its head, Roman Donik, has spent over a year pressing the General Staff to reform basic training.
The Kyiv Independent reported in mid-2025 that Donik called the official training system one where "no one takes responsibility for poor training," and that the General Staff had been "largely closed off to outside suggestions."
What's in updated 51-day program
Cadets now repeat firearms exercises at progressively higher complexity rather than learning isolated skills, and tactical training has shifted toward small-group operations. It's the actual unit size at which most fighting in Ukraine is now taking place.
Pre-hospital medical training hours have been increased by cutting outdated exercises. Each platoon has been assigned both a commander and an instructor to provide closer supervision through the course.
Laser tag for FPV drones, and pre-specialty tracks
The most distinctive new element is counter-drone training using laser tag systems. Recruits practice evading and intercepting FPV drones, the cheap, fast-moving threat that now drives much of the casualty count on both sides of the front, with laser-tagged equipment rather than expensive live-drone setups.
The most motivated recruits can additionally pursue specializations during basic training: rifle operator, rifle rescuer, or small tactical group commander. The pre-specialty tracks reflect a structural shift away from one-size-fits-all infantry training toward letting recruits develop a focus before they reach a brigade.
