War in Ukraine far from stuck: Key factor identified
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi (photo: facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
The war in Ukraine has not reached a deadlock. The reason is heavy Russian losses and ongoing Ukrainian offensive operations, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with Le Monde.
Read also: Russia's losses surpass those of every war since World War II
According to Syrskyi, "the war has not reached a deadlock," as territories continued to change hands in 2025, and fighting took place across all fronts—on land, in the air, and at sea.
"It’s no longer possible to speak solely of a land war," he added.
Another critical factor is Russia's losses, which, in 2025, exceeded its recruitment efforts for the first time.
"Even though Russia managed to mobilize and draft 406,000 troops in 2025, total casualties—killed and wounded—amounted to roughly 418,000 soldiers," the Commander-in-Chief said.
He also emphasized that 2025 was an extremely difficult year for Ukraine, but the Defense Forces not only held the line, particularly in the Pokrovsk direction, but also carried out successful offensive operations.
Notably, Ukrainian advances near Dobropillia and in Kupiansk disproved Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that these cities had fallen.
"My task until the end of negotiations is to prevent, by any means, any deep Russian advances into our defensive positions and, where possible, liberate our territory. This is what will ensure honest negotiations that lead to a just peace," Syrskyi said.
Russia's losses, Ukraine's offensive
Last week, UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated that on certain front lines, Russian losses are 25 times higher than those of the Ukrainian army, with the increasing use of drones shifting the balance in Ukraine's favor.
Also, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported yesterday that Ukrainian Defense Forces regained control over 300 square kilometers of territory previously occupied by Russia, specifically in the southern sector of the front.
