The head of the Ukrainian army: the war did not come to a standstill, Russia failed to implement its plans for 2025. “An infantryman is worth his weight in gold”

The war in Ukraine has not stalled, and Moscow's ambitious plans for 2025 have failed. This is the firm message conveyed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Sîrski, in an interview given to the French publication Le Monde.

Oleksandr Sirski/PHOTO: Profimedia

At a time he describes as “extremely difficult” for the state and society, the general claims that the Ukrainian army continues to resist the “largest and most powerful army in Europe” and misjudge its strategic calculations.

Moscow's plan for 2025: ambitious, but missed

According to Sîrski, Russia had prepared a large-scale offensive for this year. The objective: the full occupation of Donbas, advance in the Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions, as well as the creation of a buffer zone in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

“But it failed,” emphasized the Ukrainian commander.

He claims that the operations carried out by Ukrainian forces in the border directions, in the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk, forced Moscow to redistribute its reserves, disrupting the preparation of the spring offensive. At the same time, counteractions in the Dobropillia area prevented Russian troops from encircling the Pokrovsk–Mîrnohrad agglomeration, a strategic point in the east of the country.

“The war is not at a standstill”

The general rejects the idea of ​​a deadlocked conflict. Territories continue to pass “from one hand to another”, and the confrontation is no longer only on land, but also in the air and at sea.

In addition, he says, the nature of war has changed radically. Each day, both camps use between 6,000 and 8,000 FPV drones, and the showdown is increasingly becoming a competition of technologies and economic capabilities.

“An infantryman is literally worth his weight in gold,” he says, as most offensive operations are conducted on foot in extremely harsh conditions.

But the commander acknowledges Russia's air superiority, particularly through the use of guided bombs and ballistic missiles, which put constant pressure on Ukrainian defensive lines.

Losses greater than mobilization capacity

Another element invoked by the head of the Ukrainian army concerns the losses suffered by Russia. According to him, 2025 would be the first year in which the number of Russian soldiers removed from combat – dead or wounded – exceeded the level of new mobilizations.

Sîrski states that Moscow mobilized approximately 406,000 people, while total losses would have reached approximately 418,000 soldiers. Every day, he says, between 1,000 and 1,100 Russian soldiers are removed from combat.

“A fight for the right to exist”

Despite the difficulties, the general's message is one of continuity and resilience. Until possible negotiations, his objective is clear: stop the Russian advance and liberate territories where possible.

“Until the negotiations are completed, my mission is to prevent the enemy from penetrating the depths of our defenses and to clear the territory where we can. Only in this way can we ensure fair negotiations”said Oleksandr Sîrski.

In a war that has lasted for years and has changed shape many times, the stake remains, he says, the very existence of the Ukrainian state.