According to the Decree of the President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi was appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in February of this year. This appointment, as well as subsequent changes in the military leadership, the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka, the long offensive of the Russian invaders and the announcement of Ukraine's transition to strategic defense became the objects of close attention, and not only in Ukraine.
Among Western allies and partners, alarming thoughts began to be heard that Ukraine is losing positions and capabilities to continue the fight against the enemy. How justified are such assessments, what is the real situation on the battlefield, and what does the new strategy of Ukrainian troops mean, Ukrinform told himself Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Sirskyi.
Oleksandr Stanislavovych, disturbing news continues to arrive from the front. The enemy continues to put pressure on Ukrainian positions, tries to advance on the Kupyansk direction and the Liman, poses threats to Yampol and Siversk. The situation in the Avdiiv direction remains difficult. We know that every step is given to the enemy with great blood, but... What is happening? Does the Armed Forces have the resources and capabilities to stop such an enemy advance?
The situation at the front is really difficult. But at the front, it is no different. Undoubtedly, every day requires maximum effort from our soldiers and officers. But we not only stand on the defensive, but also move forward in different directions every day. Recently, the number of positions we regained exceeds the number of lost positions. The enemy did not manage to advance significantly in strategic directions, his territorial gains, if any, are of tactical importance. We are monitoring this situation.
It should be recognized that the current situation in certain directions is tense. The Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and have a numerical advantage in terms of personnel. They traditionally do not pay attention to losses and continue to use the tactics of massive assaults. On certain directions, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repel several dozen attacks.
The experience of the past months and weeks shows that the enemy has significantly increased the activity of aviation, uses anti-aircraft missiles - guided air bombs that destroy our positions. In addition, the enemy conducts dense artillery and mortar fire. Until a few days ago, the enemy's advantage in terms of ammunition fired was about 6:1.
But we learned to fight not by the amount of ammunition, but by the skill of using the weapons that are available. In addition, we make the most of the advantages of unmanned aircraft. Although the enemy is trying to catch up with us in this effective weapon.
The enemy continues offensive actions on a wide front, tries at any cost to reach the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to squeeze us on the left bank of the Dnieper in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In certain areas of the front, we managed to equalize the situation with regard to artillery, and this immediately affected the situation as a whole. Our gunners use high-precision ammunition to destroy enemy concentrations even tens of kilometers from the front line. The enemy not only suffers daily significant losses in manpower and equipment, in particular artillery systems, he can never feel safe anywhere, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is an important psychological factor. They will not have peace on our land. Never. And every occupier should be aware of this.
It is clear that these are statistics, but it is important to know: only in February-March of this year (as of March 26), the enemy lost more than 570 tanks, about 1430 armored combat vehicles, almost 1680 artillery systems and 64 air defense systems. At the same time, the Defense Forces of Ukraine keep the main heights and defense areas under control. Our goal is to prevent the loss of our territory, to exhaust the enemy as much as possible, to inflict the greatest possible losses on him, to form and prepare reserves for offensive operations.
It is also very significant that the activity of the enemy in the air was also reduced, of course, thanks to the skill of our air defense units. In just 10 days in February, they shot down 13 enemy aircraft, including two strategically important A50 surveillance and control aircraft.
So we are fine with the skill of the staff. We hope to receive from our partners a greater number of air defense equipment and, most importantly, missiles for them, especially considering that the enemy has switched to the tactics of massive airstrikes both against Ukrainian troops and civilian infrastructure, and against peaceful cities of Ukraine. We are obliged to protect them.
We are changing tactics at sea as well. Attacks by unmanned drones on enemy ships are so effective that it makes it possible to talk about changes in the strategy of combat operations at sea in general. We are purposefully destroying the Russian Black Sea Fleet. And we will continue to do it. The latest destruction of several ships in Sevastopol is just one more confirmation of this.
Your appointment took place after the loud and, let's be frank, not entirely understandable resignation from this position of General Valery Zaluzhny. What are these changes, as well as the reformatting of practically the entire military leadership, related to? How were such disturbances perceived in the troops?
The military has one duty - we do not discuss orders, we carry them out. So if the President of the country, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, had reasons for such a replacement, especially during the active phase of the war, it means that these reasons are valid.
Valery Fedorovich and I worked side by side during the most difficult times since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, and even before. Worked as one team. I wish him success in his new and very responsible position.
I can say that all our knowledge and all the experience gained already during a full-scale war in battles with overwhelming enemy forces will be aimed at increasing the effectiveness of our actions and maximum damage to the enemy's strike groups.
On this basis, we work out the algorithms of the military administration bodies at all levels. It is a matter of detailed, careful planning of the actions of associations, units and units, of course, taking into account the needs of the front. Actually, not only the success of each military operation, but also people's lives depend on the clear work of this vertical, which covers the planning and support of military operations, on the timely supply of the latest weapons and ammunition from our Western partners. Commanders of all levels should remember this, and we constantly remind our allies in the West about it.
Our staffs must know all, without exception, the needs of the front and master the situation in every part of it. In this, the first priority is the qualification of officers belonging to the military administration.
I can confirm that the composition of the General Staff and other military administration bodies will be renewed thanks to combat officers with extensive practical experience of combat operations, which they acquired on the fields of this war.
What changes will take place on the battlefield after your appointment?
The situation on the battlefield depends not only on the Commander-in-Chief, as you understand. Modern warfare requires determination and initiative on the ground, right where the fighting takes place. The success of combat operations depends on the officer, sergeant, and soldier who are in the trenches and at strongpoints - they are the ones who carry this huge combat load on their shoulders.
We can define a strategy and coordinate actions, promptly respond to changes in the situation and the needs of the front. At the same time, the philosophy of the use of troops - at least this is my position - should be based on the main formula. The most valuable asset of our Armed Forces is its people. Our task is to protect their lives and at the same time inflict maximum losses on the enemy.
The implementation of this principle requires maintaining a balance between the execution of combat missions and the restoration of military units and units. Our people are heroes, but their powers are not limitless, they also need recovery and rest.
Therefore, the process of rotating military units on the front line has already been launched today, which allows us to fully restore the combat capability of not only equipment, but first of all to ensure rest and recovery of our servicemen.
We need people to ensure this process. That is why I would like every man of military age in Ukraine to realize that Ukraine's survival depends on his will and actions.
So that you understand, this process is not limited only to the activities of TCC. This is a whole complex of issues that includes training people, their proper equipment and provision. Such efforts also include social protection measures for servicemen and their family members. It is necessary to worry about how the life of a serviceman develops after release or demobilization. Of course, it is impossible to fulfill all these tasks only by the efforts of the Armed Forces. We see that the state does not stand aside and is already creating mechanisms to solve all these issues.
Ukrainians continue to defend their country, in particular, returning from abroad. We have a lot of volunteers, and this is not an exaggeration. I do not claim that there are no problems, but I emphasize that we are doing everything to solve them.
Earlier, it was said that in order to maintain combat capability and ensure the rotation of units and parts of the Armed Forces at the front, it is necessary to mobilize another 500 people. How realistic is that number now?
After reviewing our internal resources and clarifying the combat composition of the Armed Forces, this figure was significantly reduced. We expect that we will have enough people capable of defending the Motherland. It is not only about the mobilized, but also about volunteers.
It should be taken into account that people are not robots. They are exhausted physically and psychologically, especially in the conditions of hostilities. For example, those people who came to the TCC in February 2022 need rest and treatment. Suffice it to mention that the 110th combat brigade was involved in the Avdiiv direction from the beginning of the full-scale invasion. They need to recover and rest, and this is an objective necessity. And there are many such parts.
We are currently reviewing the strength of certain non-combat units based on an audit of their activities. This allowed us to release thousands of servicemen and direct them to combat units.
But at the same time, it is necessary to refrain from extremes. All armies of the world have personnel who do not participate in combat operations, but provide combat units. This is an equally important part of the work. The war we are forced to wage against the Russian invaders is a war of attrition, a war of logistics. Therefore, the importance of the effectiveness of rear units cannot be underestimated. It is about the system of providing the troops with food and ammunition, about repair units, about medical facilities and about many other things. These people contribute to the effectiveness of hostilities.
In particular, I want to emphasize: those citizens who join the army after mobilization do not immediately go to the front. With very special exceptions, for example, when a person already has combat experience, the vast majority of these individuals arrive at training military units and centers. As of February of this year, the number of people undergoing such training was 84 percent of the total number of mobilized. Only after such training can they be sent to resupply military units to restore their combat capability.
When the Ukrainian troops left Avdiyivka, Russian propaganda shouted about thousands of captured Ukrainians. What really happened there?
We withdrew our forces from Avdiyivka, because the enemy had a significant advantage in the forces and means of assault units. Due to constant bombardment by guided aerial bombs, the integrity of our defense was broken, which gave the enemy the opportunity to gradually advance. The insufficient amount of ammunition for our artillery also played a negative role. This made it impossible to conduct an effective counter-battery fight in such conditions. So, in order to avoid the environment and save people's lives, I decided to leave Avdiivka.
Unfortunately, during these battles, 25 Ukrainian servicemen were captured by the Russians. This is war... Russian propagandists are trying to use various videos with captured Ukrainian soldiers to discredit the Defense Forces of Ukraine, psychological pressure and spreading panic among Ukrainians.
I want to say to these soldiers, if they will hear me, to their families: we have not forgotten anyone and we are doing everything to free these servicemen from enemy captivity. Both the leadership of our state and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense and the command of the Armed Forces are fully involved in these efforts.
It is also worth remembering that the offensive on Avdiivka resulted in significant losses for the enemy, and this is unlikely to be reported on "Russian" television. Only in the period from October 10, 2023 to February 17, 2024, the Russian invaders lost: 47186 personnel, 364 tanks, 748 armored fighting vehicles, 248 artillery systems, 5 aircraft in the Avdiiv direction. Since the beginning of the Avdiyiv defense operation, the Ukrainian defense forces have captured 95 Russian invaders in this direction.
From the beginning of the full-scale war, which has been going on for more than two years, you led the defense of Kyiv, led the troops during the liberation of the territory of the Kharkiv region. According to the assessments of a number of Western mass media, the threat of a Russian offensive looms over Kharkiv again. How real is it, in your opinion?
We cannot ignore any information about the enemy's preparations for offensive actions, so we take all measures to adequately respond to such a possibility. Today, we are carrying out a large complex of works on the fortification equipment of territories and positions, we are installing a complex system of barriers, and we are planning the use of our troops in the event of such actions.
We already have the experience of combat operations in the Kharkiv region, we managed to "calculate" the enemy and liberate a large part of the Kharkiv region. It was then that the large-scale collapse of the Russian front took place. If the Russians go there again, Kharkiv will be a fatal city for them.
But, of course, each military operation is unique in its own way, and simply using its conventional tracing paper in the next situation on the front will not succeed under any circumstances. Modern warfare is a mathematical problem with hundreds of variables in which every component can be crucial.
I cannot but ask, where were the lines of fortification divided, along which our troops were supposed to withdraw from Avdiivka?
I'll start with the main thing. We managed to stop the enemy near Avdiivka, using positions that were equipped during the battle. The main line of fortifications is equipped and placed much further, in the depth of our defense. Currently, the preparation of powerful defense lines is underway on almost all threatening directions. For the leadership of the state and the Armed Forces, for local administrations, etc., the construction of fortification lines and structures is now one of the priorities.
Prepared fortifications save the lives of our soldiers. The construction of an extensive system of engineering and fortification structures is not only the task of the engineering units of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and military units. Regional military administrations and units of the State Special Transport Service are also involved in this process. This work is ongoing.
How important is assistance to the Armed Forces from our Western allies and partners?
We are very grateful to our Western allies, NATO countries, the European Union and other partners for their support. Without such support, without the supply of weapons, ammunition, air defense equipment, and heavy equipment, it would be much more difficult for us to fight against an insidious and powerful enemy.
We would be even more grateful if this help came quickly and in sufficient quantity. It is worth admitting: we could not achieve greater success during the Kharkiv Offensive because we did not have enough resources. The lack of resources and the necessary amount of ammunition gave the Russians the opportunity to dig deep into the ground in the South of Ukraine, in the Zaporizhia region, and the assault on these positions, without effective air support, cost us human losses and equipment. The last case is Avdiyivka. We would certainly maintain these positions if we had a sufficient number of anti-aircraft weapons and artillery shells.
This is not a claim, but a statement of fact. I believe that our allies have already realized who they are dealing with in Russia, and would very much like to see our success in the fight against the enemy. We lack weapons, everything else we can do ourselves. We are grateful to our partners for every projectile, for every ton of fuel. But in order to effectively plan operations, we need predictability of such supply.
Now the Defense Forces are carrying out tasks on the entire huge front line, in fact, with a shortage of weapons and ammunition. In these conditions, the transition to strategic defense is a logical decision. But the reverse is just as logical: if the West, as it claims, supplies Ukraine with everything its Armed Forces need, it will make it possible to repel the enemy, no matter how many people Russia mobilizes, and finally end this war with a military victory over the enemy.
But we are not sitting idly by either, but are building up the capabilities of the domestic defense industry. If the Europeans are involved in its development in the volumes they promise, I think we will solve the problem of "shell hunger" over time. Currently, in terms of the number of innovations and own developments of weapons, military equipment, and most importantly, their practical use on the battlefield, Ukraine is among the absolute leaders.
In this context, it is possible to mention the rearming of the artillery units with the domestic 155-mm "Bohdan" gun, with the simultaneous addition of its automatic firing system. Soon, it can be expected, certain samples of Western howitzers and domestic rifled mortars will be produced in Ukraine. This also applies to the development of modern missile weapons and counter-battery systems. Society already knows quite well about the production of drones. So all these measures can provide an operational advantage over the enemy at the front in the near future.
Another good example is the restoration and overhaul of the American-made M777 howitzers. We have established the production of some such parts in Ukraine. In particular, during the restoration of each unit of this howitzer, 40 percent of parts and spare parts manufactured for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at domestic enterprises are used. The shoulder of supply, maintenance, repair and recovery has been reduced many times, and the front feels these qualitative changes.
What is the most important thing for Glavcom Syrskyi today?
As I already said, now the main thing for us is to save people. "Iron" can be restored, but the people who died cannot be brought back.
There is another priority - the unity of society, the absence of political discord. We must remember the tragic pages of our history. I am sure: Russia will never be able to defeat us on the battlefield as long as Ukrainians maintain unity and strength of spirit. If you waste energy and strength on empty political disputes with each other, this is not even a path to defeat, but to death.
I want every Ukrainian to understand this: Russia denies all of us the right to life. That is why defeat and death are identical. Now it's time again for the country to turn into a strong, united fist. The main task of Ukraine is to preserve unity, this is the main component of our victory.
Dmitry Shkurko
Photo: Oleksiy Bobovnikov, Department of Public Relations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Roman Chop, OTU "Soledar"
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