Russia's offensive ability broken, Kyiv's former general says

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's former top military commander, stated in an exclusive interview with the BBC that Russia's offensive capability has been broken. This marks his first major interview since he was forced to step down from his high-profile post earlier in the summer.

During the interview, Syrskyi addressed allegations made by soldiers who previously served under him, who claimed they were ordered to hold ground even when nearly surrounded by Russian forces, resulting in heavy casualties. He acknowledged that such frontline challenges occurred while fighting a vastly superior adversary.

The former commander-in-chief noted that throughout 2025, the ratio of aircraft and bombs stood heavily in Moscow's favor at 18 to one, alongside possessing two-and-a-half times more artillery pieces and shells than Ukraine. With millions of trained reserves, Russian forces have continually pushed across multiple directions, though technological advances and targeted counter-strategies have created a prolonged stalemate.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Moscow lost more territory than it captured in September 2026. Syrskyi also highlighted that the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk successfully disrupted enemy offensives and granted stretched brigades much-needed recovery time.