In brief
Former commander‑in‑chief Oleksandr Syrskyi tells the BBC that Russia’s advances have stalled after Ukrainian forces inflicted higher losses and leveraged drones and AI. He blames a clash with Defence Minister Fedorov for coordination issues and rebukes claims that soldiers were ordered to hold ground at all costs. According to Syrskyi, the front line is now stable after Russia seized only 61 sq km in the first half of 2026, a figure backed by the Institute for the Study of War. He warns that the next phase will bring robots and AI, yet insists humanity remains key on the battlefield.
After being ousted last summer, former commander‑in‑chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says Ukraine’s tech edge and higher Russian casualties “broken” Russia’s push on the front.
Syrskyi blames a clash with Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for a loss of coordination, then argues that drones and AI‑augmented weapons give Ukrainian troops a decisive advantage.
He challenges claims that his troops were ordered to hold ground “at any cost,” citing the uneven nature of the war—Russia has 18 fighter jets for every one Ukrainian double‑digit, and four million men to mobilise, while the army rates are in the 150,000‑plus range.
With only 61 sq km of territory seized in the first half of 2026, the front line has “stabilised,” a metric that the Institute for the Study of War confirms.
Syrskyi adds that the next battle will rely on robots and AI, though the human element remains, and he urges European allies to stop “dropping all illusions” and prepare for the war’s future.
