Syrskyi Defends Kursk Operation as Necessary Military Move

Former Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the Kursk operation was launched to counter Russia's 2024 offensive momentum after Moscow expanded its forces and attacked across 13 operational fronts. He made the statement in an interview with BBC News Ukraine published by Liga.net.

According to Syrskyi, Russia had increased troop numbers after raising military pay and later gained numerical advantages of up to 4.5-to-1, and in some areas 6-to-1. He said Ukrainian forces needed to disrupt those plans while facing heavy defensive battles and Russian air superiority.

Syrskyi described the Kursk operation as a "rescue" that was intended to stop the Russian offensive plans. He said the operation followed an assessment that Russian defenses in the Sumy sector had weakened.

The former commander said Ukrainian forces selected the Sumy sector after Russia moved personnel and resources toward the Kharkiv direction. According to Syrskyi, Russia's forces in the area had become engaged in border fighting without gaining significant advantages.

Syrskyi also addressed questions over whether the Kursk operation was a "success or a failure" during the BBC News Ukraine interview. He said the operation was a necessity under the battlefield conditions Ukraine faced in 2024.

According to Syrskyi, Ukraine captured 1,273 square kilometers of Russian territory within a month of the operation. He said Russia then redeployed approximately 70,000 personnel to the Kursk sector, including airborne troops, marines and highly trained motorized infantry units.

The former commander said the redeployment gave Ukrainian forces time to prepare reserves, restore combat readiness and regroup units that had suffered losses during earlier fighting. He also said the operation improved troop morale.

Syrskyi said the decision to launch the offensive was approved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after military assessments of the weakened Russian position in the area. Syrskyi was later replaced as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Mykhailo Drapaty.