Mission command and supply chain resilience in wartime military logistics: empirical evidence from the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Purpose This study investigates how command, control and leadership mechanisms enable supply chain resilience (SCRES) in wartime military logistics, addressing a gap in empirical research on organizational and command factors under adversarial conditions. Design/methodology/approach We collected survey data (n = 82) from logistics experts in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) and analyzed the structural relationships among mission command (MC), leader–member exchange (LMX), planning (PLAN), visibility (VIS), responsiveness (RESP) and recovery (REC) using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) combined with necessary condition analysis (NCA). Findings The structural model yielded predictive relevance (R2 RESP = 0.705, R2 REC = 0.415). RESP emerged as the strongest predictor of REC (β = 0.542), the central mediating pathway to resilience outcomes. MC strongly predicted RESP (β = 0.477), indirectly influencing REC through this pathway. MC and RESP showed close empirical overlap, plausibly reflecting MC's doctrinal role in producing responsiveness, though this warrants cautious interpretation. LMX strengthened resilience indirectly by supporting MC. NCA revealed that VIS and MC function as necessary conditions for achieving high REC, even when their direct effects are nonsignificant in SEM. Originality/value By integrating PLS-SEM with NCA, we offer a leadership-centered explanation of SCRES in wartime military operations. The findings are consistent with perceptual evidence of NATO-aligned MC practices among surveyed UAF logistics personnel, underscoring their role in sustaining supply chain resilience. These insights primarily inform military logistics, with potential relevance for how command-and-control affects resilience in other high-stakes environments.