Ukraine's army chief says Russia preparing new attacks along broad front

Russia's new plans

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russian forces continue to pursue plans to seize Ukrainian territory and establish a so-called buffer zone in the country's north.

According to him, despite suffering significant losses, Russia is increasing weapons production, preparing for new offensive operations along a broad section of the front, seeking vulnerabilities in Ukraine's defenses, and attempting to infiltrate gaps between Ukrainian positions.

What Ukraine is focusing on

Syrskyi noted that fortifications, engineering obstacles, and anti-drone defense systems have become particularly important under current conditions.

Combined with effective firepower and the actions of Ukrainian troops, these measures help hold defensive lines, reduce Russia's offensive capabilities, and save the lives of Ukraine's defenders.

According to the commander-in-chief, during the first half of 2026, Ukraine succeeded in establishing a systematic approach to building layered defenses, expanding anti-drone protection, and preparing settlements for defense.

What was discussed at the meeting

During a regular meeting on fortifications, Syrskyi heard reports from the commander of the Joint Forces, commanders of operational troop groups, the head of the State Special Transport Service Administration, regional military administration chiefs, and other senior officials.

Participants reviewed the pace and quality of engineering work on defensive lines, the state of anti-drone protection, and the readiness of settlements for defense.

Following the discussions, key challenges were analyzed, specific solutions were identified, and priority tasks were set.

Main objective

The commander-in-chief stressed that Ukraine's primary objective remains unchanged: preventing Russia from achieving its goals, maintaining the initiative in defense, and stabilizing the situation on the front line.

He added that a substantial amount of work still lies ahead and must be completed in a timely and effective manner, as the resilience of Ukraine's defenses, the effectiveness of combat operations, and the lives of Ukrainian service members depend directly on it.

Earlier, it was reported that the widespread use of Ukrainian drones equipped with artificial intelligence has significantly changed the battlefield situation. According to assessments, these technologies have become one of the key factors behind the sharp increase in Russian military losses and have greatly reduced Russian troops' chances of survival during assault operations.