Former Ukrainian commander Syrskyi says Russian losses are six times Ukraine's
In his first interview since being dismissed in July 2026, former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told the BBC that Ukraine has stabilised the front and broken Russia's ability to advance by killing large numbers of its soldiers.
The interview
Former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi gave the BBC his first interview since being dismissed, saying Ukraine has stabilised the front line and "broken Russia's ability to advance" by killing large numbers of Russian soldiers. He said Moscow's overall losses in the war are six times those of Ukraine, and he put the gap at an even wider margin when only the dead are counted.
If you count only dead, then it's up to 11 times.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine officially publishes complete figures for its dead, so the claims cannot be independently verified. Ukraine's military says it inflicted record losses on Russian soldiers in September, though that also could not be verified. Syrskyi attributes the gap, along with new technology and a tactic of attacking weak points in Russian lines while containing advances elsewhere, to the current stalemate at the front.
Casualty estimates
UK intelligence chiefs estimate that around half a million Russian men have been killed in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that Ukraine lost up to 150,000 troops killed by June 2026. The two estimates come from different bodies and cover different periods, and no official tally exists to reconcile them.
- Russian soldiers killed, UK intelligence estimate (since 2022)
- 500000 soldiers
- Ukrainian soldiers killed, CSIS estimate (up to June 2026)
- 150000 soldiers
Territory and the front line
Syrskyi said Russia seized only 61 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in the first six months of 2026, which he presented as proof that the front has been stabilised. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russia lost more territory than it gained in September 2026, a trend that matches his account. He also argued that drones, automated systems and artificial intelligence now play a growing role on the battlefield, while soldiers remain decisive. He urged European countries to begin preparing for future conflict, saying the threat to Europe remains despite the weakened Russian army. He summed up his case in one line:
It's an indication that the front line has been stabilised.
Dismissal and dispute with the defence minister
Syrskyi was appointed commander-in-chief in 2024, after defending Kyiv in the first weeks of the 2022 invasion and leading a successful counteroffensive east of Kharkiv in the autumn of 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him in July 2026 after a conflict with then defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had accused him of blocking technological innovation. Mychajło Drapaty replaced him that month. Syrskyi said the disagreement arose because the minister did not take the army's interests into account and created an imbalance in supplies, neglecting essential ground equipment.
- Full-scale invasion begins; Syrskyi's defence of Kyiv in the first weeks is later recognised
- Syrskyi appointed commander-in-chief
- Zelensky dismisses Syrskyi after conflict with Fedorov; Mychajło Drapaty replaces him
- ISW reports Russia lost more territory than it gained that month
Accusations from soldiers
Soldiers who previously served under Syrskyi told the BBC they were ordered to remain in their positions even when they were almost surrounded by Russian forces, which led to high losses. Syrskyi pushed back against these allegations during the interview. He also rejected critics who said he was too "old school" to command Ukraine's new, technologically advanced forces. He said the war had changed fundamentally since 2022, with drones now dominating the battlefield.
