Ukraine to shift to offensive operations as defense never secures victory – Commander-in-Chief
Photo: Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi (facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that Ukraine will conduct offensive operations, noting that victory cannot be achieved solely through defense, according to an interview with LB.ua.
He notes that Russia's global plans for 2026 have not changed. The enemy remains focused on the entirety of Ukraine and continues to follow its objectives.
"All directions for offensive actions remain the same as before. Only the timing, the number of pieces of equipment, and the personnel numbers change. Everything else remains as it was. They are sticking to their plans," the Commander-in-Chief said.
He emphasized that Ukraine will continue defending but will also conduct offensive operations.
"We will carry out a strategic defensive operation, but we understand that victory cannot be won through defense alone. Therefore, we will conduct offensive operations to maintain the operational initiative," Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
He explained that this approach forces Russian forces to commit—and redeploy—significant personnel, equipment, and ammunition to counter Ukraine's active operations.
Ukraine's counteroffensive and Russia's plans
From August to October 2025, Ukrainian defense forces conducted counteroffensive operations in the Donbas.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces during that period disrupted Russian offensive formations and liberated over 430 square kilometers north of Pokrovsk. Russian losses in those battles exceeded 13,000 soldiers.
Earlier, the former head of Ukrainian military intelligence (now head of the Office of the Ukrainian President), Kyrylo Budanov, outlined Russia's key objectives for 2026, stating that Moscow aims to fully occupy the Donbas and Zaporizhzhia regions.
See here a detailed breakdown of the Kremlin's plans in Ukraine for 2026.
