Former Ukrainian defence chief says Kyiv has halted Russia's battlefield momentum
Oleksandr Syrskyj said that Ukraine has neutralised Russia’s ability to advance and warned Europe not to underestimate Russian ambitions.
Oleksandr Syrskyj, who led Ukraine’s armed forces from February 2024 until the summer of 2026, said that Kyiv’s combat efforts have crippled Russia’s capacity to push forward. He warned European countries to discard any illusion that the war will not spread beyond Ukraine. According to Syrskyj, massive Russian losses and superior Ukrainian technology have rendered further Russian offensives impossible, with the front line stabilising at a limited advance in the first half of 2026.
He recalled the August 2024 Kursk offensive, which involved roughly 30,000 troops and was later described by some as disastrous, but argued it provided a temporary respite for Ukrainian units in Donetsk and Luhansk. Syrskyj’s tenure ended after a public clash with defence minister Mikhail Fedorov, leading to both men’s dismissal.
Why it matters
The assessment signals a potential shift in the war’s dynamics and influences European security calculations.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Ukraine reports heavy Russian personnel and equipment losses in ongoing war
- Sep 17 Residents of Oleshky in Russian-occupied Kherson face severe shortages and cannot be evacuated as Russian attacks block aid.
- Sep 19 President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law.
- Sep 26 Russia has refused ICRC‑facilitated evacuations for Oleshky residents.
- Sep 26 At the UN General Assembly, Sergej Lavrov declared that the threat to Russian security will be eliminated and that peaceful life will return, while accusing Europe of blocking peace talks.
- Sep 26 President Trump publicly urged Ukraine to negotiate a settlement with Russia.
- Sep 27 German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held a bilateral meeting with Sergej Lavrov at the United Nations, the first such talks at this level since the conflict began.
- Sep 28 The last ground convoy reached Oleshky on May 26, and no further deliveries have been reported.
- Sep 28 Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly urged Lavrov to end the war during a UN Security Council debate.
- Sep 29 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Belgium will send three U.S.-made F-16 jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026.
- Oct 1 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has deployed its home-grown FP-7 tactical ballistic missile against Russia, but declined to reveal the target.
- Oct 5 President Zelensky announced the missile's first combat use via Telegram.
- Oct 8 Ukraine’s General Staff released an updated casualty figure of 1,545,950 Russian personnel losses.
- Oct 10 Belgium announced the delivery of three F‑16 jets to Ukraine.
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