Oleksandr Syrskyi, who started as commander of the armed forces in February, tells The Guardian that despite its progress, Russia has not achieved breakthroughs.
The new commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi says that the progress of the Russian troops in recent months is not about any significant breakthroughs, but about local victories.
British newspaper Interviewed by The Guardian Syrskyi says that Ukraine is not ready to achieve its goals at any cost, but to spare the lives of soldiers. Sometimes it is necessary to move to more favorable positions.
Russian commanders, on the other hand, are known for sacrificing a huge number of soldiers “to advance 100 or 200 meters”. Russia’s male losses are at least three times higher than Ukraine’s, says Syrskyi.
– We will not defend the ruins to the death, Syrskyi says in an interview. It is the first he has given to the Western media as commander of the armed forces.
“I know how we win”
Russia has both manpower and weapon superiority in the war. According to Syrskyi, it has two or three times as many weapons as Ukraine. The number of tanks and personnel carriers has doubled and artillery has tripled in two years.
The initial assault force of 100,000 men has grown to half a million, and Russia plans to increase it to 690,000 troops this year.
Ukraine has not published its own figures. One of the biggest challenges is recruiting new soldiers to replace the dead and wounded. Many of those fighting at the front are exhausted.
However, according to Syrskyi, Ukraine’s advantage is the quality of its armament. For example, Ukraine has managed to successfully use drones in attacks against Russian military infrastructure. Among other things, Russia has had to withdraw its operations from the port of Sevastopol in Crimea.
Syrskyi says he is confident that Ukraine will win the war, although he does not give an estimate of when that will happen. According to him, Ukraine also has a plan to get back Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014.
– I know we will win. I know how I have to do it, says Syrskyi.