Ukraine’s army chief warns of Russia's persisting commitment despite heavy losses

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military has warned that Russian forces continue to remain committed to their objective of seizing Ukrainian territory despite sustaining heavy losses. 

General Oleksandr Syrskyi has outlined Kyiv’s current military strategy in a newly released statement via his Telegram account, Caliber.Az reports.

“The Russian aggressor suffers significant losses, but does not abandon its plans to seize Ukraine,” Syrskyi said, stressing that Ukraine’s primary goals remain “to destroy the enemy, stop his advance… and protect the sky over our cities and towns.”

According to the military chief, Russian troops have intensified offensive operations with the onset of improved weather conditions, launching attacks across nearly the entire 1,200-kilometer front line. He identified the sections in the directions towards Oleksandrivsk, Pokrovsk, Konstantinivsk and Lymansk as the most active over the past month.

Despite the pressure, Ukrainian forces have managed to regain ground. “Thanks to this, in March our troops regained control over almost 50 sq. km. territory that was occupied by the enemy,” he revealed, describing the strategy as an “active defence” aimed at seising the strategic initiative.

Syrskyi emphasised that Ukraine is offsetting Russia’s numerical advantage through tactical efficiency.

“We are countering the Russian quantity with the Ukrainian quality of combat operations, forcing the enemy to play by our rules and constantly postpone the deadlines for completing tasks,” he noted.

A key element of this approach has been long-range strikes on Russian infrastructure. “In March, 76 such targets were hit by Deep Strike means, 15 of which were oil refining industry facilities,” Syrskyi said, referring to efforts to weaken Russia’s logistical and industrial base.

The commander-in-chief also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen mobilisation, logistics and defensive preparations.

He underscored the importance of fortifications, stating that well-prepared defensive lines allow Ukrainian forces “to hold the defence for a long time, protect the Ukrainian defenders and destroy more occupiers.”

By Nazrin Sadigova