In brief
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s former commander‑in‑chief, says Russia’s push across the front line has been halted after Ukraine’s use of drones and AI‑driven weapons turned the tide. He points to a stark casualty gap, with Russia losing about half a million troops compared with 150,000 for Ukraine, and argues supply and strategy shifts have stabilized the front. Syrskyi also criticises former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov for prioritising drones over essential ground kits, calling the decision an imbalance that hurt the army. The retired commander stresses that future conflict will be even more technology‑driven yet remains human‑led, urging Europe to prepare for a prolonged war.
Ukraine had once held the front line steady, but the storm has settled. Former Commander‑in‑Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi—dismissed last summer—claims Moscow’s offensive is now broken, citing staggering differences in casualties and technological edges.
Syrskyi told the BBC that Ukrainian forces have taken more losses from Russian troops in a comparable period, with the war‑zone death toll for Moscow estimated at half a million and for Ukraine about 150,000 as of June 2026.
The ex‑commander argues that Ukraine’s shift to drones and autonomous systems has struck deep into Russian lines, making 80% of Russian forces vulnerable to aerial and robotic fire.
He also blamed internal clashes with Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for supply shortages, accusing the minister of prioritising drones over basic ground kits and creating an imbalance that hurt the army.
Despite chaotic withdrawals from Avdiivka and Vuhledar, Syrskyi emphasises that Ukraine’s numbers on the front have been stabilised; in the first half of 2026 Russia seized only 61 square kilometres, a sharp contrast to earlier months.
He recalled the Kursk incursion launched in August 2024, a ‘necessary’ operation that diverted Russian forces and bought Ukraine time to restore its eastern brigades.
Looking ahead, the former official predicts that AI‑enhanced weapons and ‘active defence’ systems will dominate the battlefield, but he insists that human oversight remains essential.
Syrskyi urges European allies to prepare for prolonged conflict, warning that Russia’s territorial ambitions continue beyond Ukraine and that the war is set to grow more technology‑driven.
The former commander’s assessment comes amid growing debate over the strategic direction of the Ukrainian military and the role of new technologies in the conflict.
