As Ukraine nears the fourth year of full-scale war with Russia, it is launching a major army reform aimed at improving its efficiency and organization on the battlefield. "We need the corps system," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 3, adding: "Today we discussed approaches to the appointment of corps
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted key military achievements during his first year in office, including long-range strikes, technological advancements, and NATO-standard training, in a Facebook post on Feb. 8.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, 66% of Russian equipment destroyed in January resulted from various types of Ukrainian attack drones.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi outlined Ukraine's key priorities, including holding defensive lines, preventing Russian advances, and enhancing the use of unmanned systems.
"In a short time, unfortunately, three shameful acts of violence occurred in different regions, in which servicemen were injured," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
In a post that included a video of combat footage, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the area "remains one of the hottest" on the front.
The Ukrainian military command's plan to throw high-skilled Air Force personnel into the infantry was said to be halted when the practice gained nationwide attention, followed by a condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Soldiers, who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on conditions of anonymity, say, however, that nothing has changed,
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi observed on Jan. 23 that the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade is "gradually acquiring certain combat capabilities" after reports of poor command and training.
Key developments on Jan. 20: * Commander of scandal-hit Ukrainian brigade detained, accused of failing to report desertions * Ammunition used by Russians halved following Ukrainian strikes, Syrskyi says * Ukraine Air Force specialists safe from transfer to infantry but mobilization issues remain, Syrskyi says * 'I didn't know who I'd be fighting' — North
Reports last week indicated that since 2024, thousands of Air Force soldiers have been transferred to the Ground Forces.
Russian forces suffered their heaviest losses last year since the start of the full-scale war, with total military losses reaching 434,000 soldiers, including approximately 150,000 killed in combat during 2024, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Jan. 19 interview with the Ukrainian news outlet TSN.
"For several months now, the artillery ammunition expenditure rates in the Russian army have practically halved. If previously the figure reached up to 40,000 rounds per day, it is now significantly lower," Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi said on Jan. 19.
"We have the capacities and capabilities to create, and we are working on creating, our own domestic air defense complex," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on Jan. 19.
"Changing the commander at a critical moment is a direct threat to the unit's combat capability and undermines the trust of the fighters," the statement read.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed the controversy surrounding the reassignment of Air Force personnel to the Ground Forces, in his evening address on Jan. 14.
The Ukrainian Air Force will transfer military personnel "en masse" to reinforce the Ground Forces' combat brigades in early 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Jan. 14, citing an undisclosed Air Force source.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s statements came following a media investigation claimed that soldiers of the unit, now deployed near Pokrovsk, have suffered losses and went AWOL (absent without leave) in large numbers due to poor command and organization on Ukraine's side.
A total of 49% of the targets were struck by kamikaze drones, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Key developments on Jan. 1: * Russian drone attack kills 2, injures 6, damages central bank building in Kyiv * Russia has lost over 38,000 troops in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukraine has brought back 1,358 people from Russian captivity in 2024 * Zelensky says Trump 'willing, capable of achieving peace
The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.
"Russia continues to carry out constant 'human wave' assaults, suffering record losses," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Key developments on Dec. 27: * Russia's new Oreshnik missile relies on Western manufacturing technology, FT reports * 3 senior Russian officers killed in HIMARS, drone attack, Ukraine's military intelligence says * Ukraine working to extend basic training to 2 months, Syrskyi says * Russia ramps up production of Shahed drones, decoys at Tatarstan
“We are currently working to create conditions for the training to last 2 months in total. High-quality training means, first and foremost, the preservation of the lives and health of our soldiers,” Syrskyi said.
"The Ukrainian defense forces in heavy battles did not allow the Russians to breach the defense and achieve operational success on any of the directions," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Key developments on Dec. 17: * Ukraine's SBU assassinates Russian general charged with chemical weapons crimes, source claims * Ukraine's Special Forces claim to kill 50 North Korean soldiers in 3 days * Russia heavily attacking in Kursk Oblast for 3rd day, 'actively' using North Korean troops, Syrskyi says * Zelensky rejects Orban's mediation,
"For the third day, Russian forces have been conducting intensive offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, actively using North Korean units," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that "non-standard decisions" are needed near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, after the military reported that Russia had destroyed two Ukrainian positions in the area.
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's Ground Forces commander, the president announced on Nov. 29.
"For 1,000 days, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been confronting the enemy on the front line, which stretches over 1,000 kilometers," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 19, Day 1,000 of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Over the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country's Kursk Oblast. "The situation is changing every day. Not long ago, we were on the offensive, and now we are on the defensive," a 35-year-old artilleryman with the
"We have numerous reports about the preparation of North Korean soldiers to participate in combat operations alongside Russian forces," Syrskyi said.
Russian forces have suffered 7,905 soldiers killed, 12,220 injured, and 717 captured during almost three months of the Kursk incursion, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 6.
