Syrskyi named the main strategy in the war with Russia

Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has named the central strategy guiding Ukraine's military in its war with Russia. He emphasized that the primary objective is to exhaust Russian forces as much as possible and prevent their advance.

Syrskyi made the remarks in an interview with Sky News.

Heavy fighting across key fronts

According to Syrskyi, the fiercest battles are currently taking place around Pokrovsk and the northeastern city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, as well as near Lyman in Donbas and close to the small town of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia region in southeastern Ukraine.

He explained that the Ukrainian army is conducting a strategic defensive operation aimed at halting enemy advances, preventing deeper breakthroughs, and inflicting maximum losses. At the same time, Ukrainian forces are carrying out counteroffensive actions in areas where Russian troops are most vulnerable.

"Our strategy is to wear down the Russian army as much as possible, prevent its advance, hold our territory, while simultaneously striking the enemy in its rear, in operational depth, and inside Russia itself to undermine its defense capabilities and industrial potential," Syrskyi stressed.

Syrskyi on fighting at the front

Commander‑in‑Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with Sky News, assessed the current fighting along the front line.

He reported that Ukrainian forces still control the northern part of Pokrovsk and will continue fighting to reclaim the rest of the city, despite Russian claims of its capture.

According to Syrskyi, Russia launches between 4,000 and 5,000 attack drones against Ukrainian positions along the front each day, as well as 1,500 to 2,000 drones dropping bombs.

However, he noted that Ukraine is responding with a comparable — and in some cases greater — volume of drones, pointing out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine hold a certain advantage in FPV drones.

At the same time, the Russian military continues to possess roughly twice the number of artillery shells compared to Ukraine. Yet the range and effectiveness of drones complicate the use of artillery, with 60 percent of strikes now carried out by UAVs.

Syrskyi added that more than 710,000 Russian soldiers are deployed along a 1,255‑kilometer front, with Russian forces losing an estimated 1,000 to 1,100 soldiers killed or wounded each day.

"At this stage, the Russian army is attempting to advance along almost the entire front line," Syrskyi concluded.

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