Syrskyi tells BBC Russia's ability to advance is broken, in first interview since removal

Mixed · 2Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief, told the BBC that Ukraine has stabilised the front line and "broken Russia's ability to advance" by killing so many of its soldiers. 1 2 Mixed · 2The BBC described it as his first interview since he was forced from his post in the summer; The Independent, citing the BBC, called it one of his first. 1 2 Mixed · 2Syrskyi said Russia's overall war losses were six times higher than Ukraine's, and "up to 11 times" if only the dead are counted. 1 2

Mixed · 2Neither side officially releases its death toll. The BBC cites UK intelligence estimates of around half a million Russians killed and a Center for Strategic and International Studies estimate of up to 150,000 Ukrainians killed by June 2026. The Independent adds a CSIS range of 125,000–150,000 Ukrainian and 400,000–450,000 Russian deaths, and a Mediazona count of 258,989 named Russian dead. 1 2 Mixed · 2He said Russia seized only 61 sq km in the first six months of 2026, which he called an indication the front line has been stabilised, and attributed the stalemate also to technology and attacks on weak points in Russian lines. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Institute for the Study of War reported that in September 2026 Russia lost more territory than it gained, a net loss of 80.81 sq km according to The Independent. 1 2

Mixed · 2Syrskyi was removed in July after protests in Kyiv over a dispute between President Volodymyr Zelensky's government and then-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been fired after clashing with military leaders. The BBC says he was replaced by Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43. 1 2 Mixed · 2Syrskyi said he had "disagreements" with Fedorov, who he said did not consider the army's interests in procurement, creating an "imbalance" by prioritising drones over front-line kit such as unmanned ground vehicles, pick-up trucks and motorbikes; even drones, he said, reached the army at only half the needed amount. Fedorov had said the army under Syrskyi blocked his initiatives. 1 2 Mixed · 2He rejected critics who called him too "old school" for a technological war, saying drone use reached unprecedented levels under him, including deep strikes over 2,000km, that Ukraine created the Unmanned Systems Forces, and that drones now account for 80% of Russian losses. 1 2

Centre · 1The BBC also reports that soldiers previously told it they were ordered to hold positions even when nearly surrounded, and that withdrawals from Avdiivka, Vuhledar and around Pokrovsk were chaotic. Syrskyi did not deny such situations occur but said Ukraine faces a far more powerful army, citing an 18-to-one advantage in jets and bombs for Russia in 2025 and four million militarily trained men available for mobilisation. 1 Centre · 1He called the 2024 Kursk incursion "a necessity" that disrupted Russia's offensive, warned European partners to "drop all illusions" that war will not come to them, and predicted more robots, automation and AI, though humans would remain decisive. 1