Latest news with #Syrsky
Asharq Al-Awsat
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Kiev Accuses Moscow of Launching New Offensive to Create Buffer Zone
Kiev on Wednesday accused Moscow of launching an offensive into northeastern Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions several days ago where it plans to create a buffer zone. Ukraine's commander in chief General Oleksandr Syrsky said in an interview with the media outlet that, 'For several days now, nearly a week, we've been seeing almost a doubling of the number of enemy offensive actions in all major areas.' President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly proposed establishing a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy region. According to Syrsky, Ukraine must mobilize 30,000 soldiers every month, a figure previously named by President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'This is, indeed, the figure that we must abide with,' Syrsky said. He added that despite its ongoing defeats, Russia has increased its force in Ukraine. 'Every month, they increase it by 8,000-9,000; in a year, it's 120,000-130,000,' the Ukrainian General said. Russia and Ukraine launched fresh drone attacks on each other overnight, resulting in injuries and damage across multiple regions, according to officials on both sides. Ukrainian authorities reported strikes in several areas. In the city of Dnipro, 15 people were injured and 15 private homes, along with several multi-storey residential and commercial buildings, were damaged, said regional Governor Serhiy Lysak. In the eastern Donetsk region, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported five people injured by Russian attacks in various communities. In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, two people were wounded following what local prosecutors described as a large-scale drone attack. Fires broke out and damage was reported to shops and residential buildings. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force said on Telegram that it shot down 32 out of 55 drones launched by Russia overnight, and that another eight did not reach their targets, most likely because of electronic countermeasures. 'Eight enemy drone imitators have been lost (without negative consequences). Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions suffered as a result of the Russian attack,' the Telegram message said. Russia's military Wednesday said that its air defense systems destroyed 158 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions and the Black Sea overnight. In a separate development, Zelensky said his forces had captured two Chinese men fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine. Asked about the claims in a daily press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment. Writing on X on Tuesday, where he posted a video of one of the alleged men, Zelenskiy said Kyiv had 'information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens' fighting. He did not say whether Ukraine believed the men were acting on Beijing's orders. China's Foreign Ministry objected to Zelenskiy's remarks that more Chinese citizens were at the frontline alongside Russians, calling them 'groundless.' 'Ukraine should correctly view China's efforts and constructive role in seeking a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis,' ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Wednesday. China was verifying the situation with Ukraine, he said, adding that its government had always required its citizens to avoid areas of armed conflict and 'especially to avoid participating in the military operations of any party.' The case was the first publicly announced instance of Chinese nationals captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine since the conflict started three years ago.
Russia Today
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine's top general demands 30,000 conscripts a month
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, has said Kiev must mobilize 30,000 soldiers every month to sustain resistance against the Russian army. He also highlighted the growing disparity between the military capabilities of the two countries. In an interview published on Wednesday by the Ukrainian outlet , Syrsky claimed that Russia can mobilize up to 5 million trained and experienced troops, with a total potential force of 20 million. He emphasized this gap to underscore the urgency of continued mobilization by Ukraine amid the mounting battlefield pressure. According to Syrsky, Russian forces have increased fivefold since the conflict escalated in 2022 and now number approximately 623,000. 'Every month, they increase it by 8,000-9,000; in a year, it's 120,000-130,000,' he said. Russia has avoided a full nationwide draft. Following its partial mobilization in fall 2022, the Kremlin has largely relied on contract soldiers and financial incentives to recruit volunteers. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that in 2024 more that 1,000 volunteers were signing contracts each day to go to the front. The Ukrainian general claimed that in some frontline areas Russian troops outnumber the Ukrainians by a ratio of ten to one, illustrating the growing strain on Ukraine's manpower. READ MORE: Kiev offers cash and perks to enlist 18-year-olds Following the escalation of the conflict, Ukraine declared a general mobilization, barring most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. However, the campaign has been marred by corruption and draft dodging. In response, Kiev lowered the conscription age to 25 and introduced stricter penalties for draft evasion and desertion last year. In light of the severe troop shortages and mounting casualties, Ukraine also launched a new voluntary military contract program in February targeting men aged 18–24, aiming to boost recruitment while addressing Western pressure to lower the conscription age. The program offers one-year contracts with a 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) payout – four times the standard rate – plus monthly combat bonuses starting at 120,000 hryvnia ($2,880), along with other benefits. To address the recruitment shortfalls, Ukrainian enlistment officers have adopted increasingly draconian methods to fill the ranks. In recent months, numerous videos circulating on social media have shown officers detaining men in public, often using physical force, and transporting them in minibuses to enlistment centers. There have also been reports of injuries and even deaths involving individuals who resisted mobilization efforts.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine tries to bolster troops in Kursk as Putin's forces advance
Kyiv is reinforcing its troops involved in fighting in Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow's forces have been regaining ground, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Monday. The move comes ahead of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, as President Trump pushes for a quick ceasefire in the three-year war launched by Russia. Ukrainian soldiers launched their audacious offensive into Russia's Kursk region in August, catching even their Western allies off guard and dealing an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin. Ukraine had hoped that controlling the Russian territory would give it leverage during any future talks with Moscow. Recently, however, Ukraine has been losing ground there: Last month, they lost two-thirds of the territory they once controlled in Kursk. "I made a decision to strengthen our grouping with the necessary forces and means, including electronic warfare and unmanned components," Syrsky wrote in a post on social media on Monday. How Trump's pause on Ukraine support has "emboldened Russia" Moscow has claimed it has taken back control of a number of villages, including in an accelerated advance over recent days. It has also claimed to have captured a village inside Ukraine's Sumy region, Novenke, which is not far from a vital resupply route for the Ukrainian forces still in Kursk. Those advances have come in the wake of President Trump's decision to pause U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine — a decision the White House has defended as tough, but necessary to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a truce along the vague lines Mr. Trump envisions. Syrsky asserted on Monday that the dynamics of fighting between the Kursk and Sumy regions were "under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces." He also addressed concerns circulating in Ukrainian media that Ukrainian troops there could be surrounded by Russian fighters, saying: "Currently, there is no threat of encirclement of our units in the Kursk region." He conceded, however, that Ukrainian forces were buckling under mounting Russian pressure and were having to fall back to positions that are easier to hold. "The units are taking timely measures to maneuver to favorable defense lines," he said. Dan Hurley: The 60 Minutes Interview Big Tech's big bet on nuclear power A Baltimore doctor's patients come to his aid
LBCI
10-03-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Ukraine reinforcing troops in Russia's Kursk region: Kyiv
Ukraine is reinforcing its troops involved in its operation inside the Russian region of Kursk, where Moscow's troops have been regaining ground recently, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Monday. "On the spot, I made a decision to strengthen our grouping with the necessary forces and means, including electronic warfare and unmanned components," Syrsky wrote in a post on social media. AFP
CBS News
10-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Ukraine says it's bolstering troops in Russia's Kursk region as Putin's forces advance amid Trump's aid pause
Kyiv is reinforcing its troops involved in fighting in Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow's forces have been regaining ground, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Monday. The move comes ahead of talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, as President Trump pushes for a quick ceasefire in the three-year war launched by Russia. Ukrainian soldiers launched their audacious offensive into Russia's Kursk region in August, catching even their Western allies off guard and dealing an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin. Ukraine had hoped that controlling the Russian territory would give it leverage during any future talks with Moscow. Recently, however, Ukraine has been losing ground there: Last month, they lost two-thirds of the territory they once controlled in Kursk. "I made a decision to strengthen our grouping with the necessary forces and means, including electronic warfare and unmanned components," Syrsky wrote in a post on social media on Monday. Moscow has claimed it has taken back control of a number of villages, including in an accelerated advance over recent days. It has also claimed to have captured a village inside Ukraine's Sumy region, Novenke, which is not far from a vital resupply route for the Ukrainian forces still in Kursk. Those advances have come in the wake of President Trump's decision to pause U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine — a decision the White House has defended as tough, but necessary to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a truce along the vague lines Mr. Trump envisions. Syrsky asserted on Monday that the dynamics of fighting between the Kursk and Sumy regions were "under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces." He also addressed concerns circulating in Ukrainian media that Ukrainian troops there could be surrounded by Russian fighters, saying: "Currently, there is no threat of encirclement of our units in the Kursk region." He conceded, however, that Ukrainian forces were buckling under mounting Russian pressure and were having to fall back to positions that are easier to hold. "The units are taking timely measures to maneuver to favorable defense lines," he said.
