General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, declared 2025 a turning point in the war, noting that Russian military losses outpaced recruitment volumes for the first time. Despite the challenging situation on the frontline, he emphasized that Ukrainian forces successfully thwarted the Kremlin's ambitious strategic plans.
As reported by Hvylya, citing Le Monde, the general provided specific figures illustrating the depletion of occupation forces in an interview with the French outlet.
"Although they managed to mobilize and conscript 406,000 people in 2025, their total losses in killed and wounded amounted to about 418,000 soldiers," Syrskyi stressed. He noted that while the Russian offensive grouping was increased to 713,000 troops, the enemy continues to suffer colossal casualties of approximately 1,000 to 1,100 personnel daily.
The Commander-in-Chief outlined Russia's failed objectives for 2025, which included the complete capture of the Donbas, territories in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson regions, as well as the creation of a "buffer zone" in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. These ambitions were thwarted by the active defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"We conducted two offensive operations on Russian territory: in the Belgorod region in March-April, and subsequently in the Kursk region in May-June. This allowed us to force the enemy to redeploy their forces," the general explained.
Syrskyi highlighted the situation near Dobropillia, where Russian forces attempted to encircle the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration in August 2025. A Ukrainian counterattack left forward units of Russia's 51st Army semi-encircled. Consequently, the enemy was forced to commit marine infantry, which remains "bogged down in fighting to this day."
Addressing Moscow's claims regarding the capture of Kupiansk, Syrskyi was categorical: "Despite the statements of General Gerasimov and Putin himself, 97% of Kupiansk is currently under the control of Ukrainian forces." Regarding Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian military maintains control of the city's northern sector and has stabilized the western flank.
The general also noted the changing nature of modern warfare, where "an infantryman is worth their weight in gold" and technology takes precedence. According to his data, each side employs between 6,000 and 8,000 FPV drones daily.
Syrskyi specifically mentioned successful long-range strikes deep inside Russia. In 2025, 719 targets were hit, including airfields and oil and gas facilities, inflicting over $15 billion in damages on the enemy. Furthermore, pushing the Russian fleet back to Novorossiysk secured the operation of the grain corridor, through which over 6,000 vessels have passed.
Discussing potential negotiations, Syrskyi emphasized his current mandate: "Until negotiations are concluded, my task is—at any cost, through our actions on the battlefield—to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into our defense and to liberate our territory wherever possible. This is what will ensure fair negotiations."