Russia's Offensive Ability Broken, Says Former Ukrainian General

Ukraine has stabilized its front lines and "broken Russia's ability to advance" by inflicting heavy casualties, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief. In his first interview since being removed from his post, Syrskyi told the BBC that Russia's overall losses in the war are six times higher than Ukraine's, and in terms of fatalities alone, the ratio reaches 11 to one.

Syrskyi, who was appointed Ukraine's commander-in-chief in 2024, defended his leadership amid criticism that he was "old school" and ill-suited for Ukraine's technologically advanced forces. He also addressed allegations from soldiers who claimed they were ordered to hold positions even when surrounded, leading to high losses. Syrskyi stated that while such situations occur, Ukraine is fighting a significantly more powerful adversary. He cited Russia's advantage in artillery and a larger pool of military-trained men as factors that enable Russian forces to push forward.

He attributed the current stalemate to a difference in the death toll, technological advancements, and a strategy of attacking Russian weak points while containing their advances elsewhere. Syrskyi noted that in the first six months of 2026, Russia managed to seize only 61 square kilometers, indicating a stabilized front line. Recent reports from the Institute for Study of War (ISW) also suggest that Russia lost more territory than it gained in September 2026.

Syrskyi's tenure saw him praised for defending Kyiv in 2022 and leading a successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region that autumn. However, he was dismissed in the summer of 2026 following disagreements with then-defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Fedorov had accused Syrskyi's command of blocking his initiatives to adapt the army to changing warfare. Syrskyi, in turn, argued that Fedorov's procurement decisions, which prioritized drones over essential equipment like unmanned ground vehicles and trucks, created an imbalance. He asserted that despite the focus on drones, the army received only half of the needed supplies.

Despite criticism regarding battlefield decisions, Syrskyi highlighted his role in advancing drone warfare, including strikes deep behind enemy lines, and the establishment of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. He claimed that drones now account for 80% of Russian losses.

One of Syrskyi's notable operations, an incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August 2024, ended with a retreat the following spring. Syrskyi defended this operation as a necessity, stating it disrupted Russia's offensive and allowed Ukrainian brigades in the east and south to recover.

Looking ahead, Syrskyi urged European allies not to dismiss Russia's territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine and advised them to prepare for potential conflict. He also predicted an increasingly technological future for warfare, with greater use of robots, automated systems, and artificial intelligence, though he stressed that human oversight would remain crucial for controlling these systems. He noted that both Russia and Ukraine are developing advanced defense systems for armored vehicles.