As Syrsky noted, the situation could have been much worse, because Russia’s plans for 2025 were much more ambitious. According to him, Moscow planned to seize the entire Donbass, the territory of the Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson regions, as well as create a buffer zone in the Kharkov and Sumy regions.
At the same time, the commander-in-chief emphasized, Ukrainian troops were able to thwart these intentions thanks to successful operations both on Russian territory and in the south-eastern direction of the front.
Syrsky said that in March-April and May-June, Ukrainian forces carried out offensive operations on Russian territory – in the Belgorod and Kursk regions. In his assessment, this forced the Russian command to transfer troops and prevented the start of the planned spring offensive operation.
Separately, he noted the situation in the southeastern direction. According to Syrsky, the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Dobropillya area, where the enemy tried to encircle the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd agglomeration, forced the Russian marines into a stalemate, and the fighting there is still ongoing.
Regarding Russia's claimed “victories” in Kupyansk and Pokrovsk, Syrsky reported that 97% of Kupyansk is under the control of Ukrainian troops.
Commenting on Pokrovsk, he added that the situation remains difficult, but the city has not yet given up. According to him, Russian forces tried to capture the agglomeration for 19 months, but Ukrainian troops retained control over the northern part of the city and stabilized the situation in the west.
