“We transferred hostilities to the enemy’s territory so that the enemy felt what we feel every day”: Oleksandr Syrskyi
Last Thursday in an exclusive CNN interview– for the first time since his appointment as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces – Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russia planned to launch a new offensive against Ukraine from the Kursk region even before the unexpected cross-border invasion of Kyiv.
In August, Ukrainian troops stormed Kursk, carrying out a cross-border invasion that surprised even American allies. This proved that, despite Russia’s advantage in manpower and armored vehicles, its army has an Achilles’ heel.
Syrsky stated that he considered the Kursk operation a success. “It reduced the threat of an enemy attack. We did not allow them to act. We moved the fighting into the enemy’s territory so that [the enemy] felt what we feel every day.”
The guys of the Armed Forces were able to stop the advance of the Orks in the Pokrovsk area, which was one of the main goals of the operation. The transfer of hostilities to the territory of the enemy made it possible to thwart Russia’s plans for a new offensive against Ukraine from the Kursk region. “Over the past six days, the enemy has not advanced a single meter in the Pokrovsky direction. In other words, our strategy is working.” – he noted. “We have deprived them of the ability to maneuver and deploy their reinforcements from other directions … and that weakening is certainly felt in other directions. We note that the number of artillery fire, as well as the intensity of the offensive, has decreased.”
The operation helped reduce pressure on other areas of the front, which allowed Ukrainian troops to hold their positions better. These factors together made the operation successful in terms of achieving strategic goals and increasing the morale of the Ukrainian military.
In the most detailed explanation of the reasons for the invasion, Sirsky outlined the key objectives of the operation: to prevent Russia from using Kursk as a springboard for a new offensive, to divert Moscow’s forces from other directions, to create a security zone and prevent cross-border shelling of civilian objects, to take prisoners of war and to raise the morale of Ukrainian troops and the nation as a whole.
The general noted that the Kremlin has transferred tens of thousands of troops to Kursk, including some of the best airborne assault units.
The front is my life
Speaking to a CNN reporter after inspecting the front line, the general said there is no doubt that Ukraine has the advantage in weapons and numbers as it tries to defend itself against Russian aggression.
“The enemy really has an advantage in aviation, in missiles, in artillery, in the amount of ammunition they use, of course, in personnel, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles,” he said. But the fact that Russia has such a material advantage has forced Ukraine to become smarter and more effective in the way it conducts war, Mr. Syrskyi.
“We cannot fight in the same way as them, so we must use, first of all, the most effective approach, use our forces and means with the maximum use of the features of the terrain, engineering structures, and also use the technical advantage.” – he said, focusing on the progressive Ukrainian program of UAVs and other high-tech weapons of domestic production.
Syrsky told interviewers that delays in American military aid led to serious setbacks on the battlefield and a drop in morale, which he believes remains a problem. At the same time, Ukraine was trying to replenish its troops, depleted and reduced after two years of fighting Russia’s relentless offensive.
The general noted that one of the priorities is the mobilization of recruits. But the controversial mobilization law, which required all men between the ages of 18 and 60 to register as conscripts and carry registration documents with them at all times, meant to make the recruitment process more transparent and fair, failed to live up to expectations. Recruits arrive at the front. But not all recruits are ready to fight and regularly leave their positions.
Syrsky admitted that his troops were going to the front line with less training than he would have liked. “Of course, everyone wants the level of training to be the best, so we train highly qualified professional soldiers, he said. “At the same time, the dynamics at the front require us to involve conscripts as soon as possible”, he added, explaining that recruits go through a month of basic military training, followed by half a month to a month of more specialized training, before being sent into battle.
The general thanked the Western allies for their support of Ukraine. Switching from Ukrainian to English, he said: “Together we are stronger. Together we can win.”
Tatyana Morarash
