Ukraine's former commander says Russia's offensive ability broken

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 17:20 · Archive

Ukraine's former top general says Russia's ability to advance has been broken by massive losses of soldiers.

Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, speaking to the BBC in his first interview since being forced from his post as commander-in-chief in the summer, said Ukraine has stabilised the front line and broken Russia's offensive capability. He claimed Russia's overall war losses were six times higher than Ukraine's, rising to eleven times when counting only the dead. Neither country releases official death figures.

Independent assessments differ significantly. UK intelligence agency GCHQ said in May that nearly 500,000 Russian troops have been killed since the war began in February 2022. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated Russia's losses between 400,000 and 450,000 as of June 2026, while putting Ukrainian fatalities at between 125,000 and 150,000 in the same period. Russian independent outlet Mediazona identified 258,989 Russian military personnel killed.

Syrskyi said Russia seized only 61 square kilometres during the first six months of 2026, indicating the front line had been stabilised. He attributed this stalemate to the casualty disparity, Ukrainian technological advances, and strategic attacks on weak points in Russian lines. He defended himself against critics who claimed he was too 'old school' to command modern forces, and against allegations from soldiers who said they were ordered to hold positions despite being nearly surrounded.

How it is being reported

• Ukraine has ‘broken Russia’s ability to advance’, claims Kyiv’s former top generalGeneral Oleksandr Syrskyi also responded to his critics after he was sacked as commander-in-chief in JulyIndependent World · 13 Oct, 17:08
• Russia's offensive ability is broken, Kyiv's former top general tells BBCIn his first interview since being forced from his post, Gen Syrskyi speaks about Ukraine's future in the war.BBC News · 13 Oct, 06:02

In this story: Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi · Ukraine · Russia · BBC · GCHQ · Centre for Strategic and International Studies · Mediazona

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