Ukraine's Former Commander Claims Russia's Offensive Power Weakened

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Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief, claims in his first public interview since his summer dismissal that Russia's ability to conduct sustained offensive operations has deteriorated significantly. He attributes this primarily to casualty rates, asserting that Russia has suffered losses six times higher than Ukraine's, or eleven times higher when counting only fatalities. While neither country officially releases casualty figures, UK intelligence estimates Russia has lost approximately half a million personnel killed since the 2022 invasion. Syrskyi's dismissal followed a public conflict with then-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov over military procurement priorities, a dispute that led President Zelensky to remove both officials after public pressure mounted.