Former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, says Ukraine has stabilized the front line after inflicting very heavy losses on the Russian army. In an interview with the BBC, his first since being dismissed, Syrskyi said Moscow’s total losses were six times greater than Kyiv’s, while the difference in military fatalities could be as high as 11 to one.
Russia and Ukraine do not publish complete figures for military deaths. According to estimates by British intelligence services, approximately 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Ukraine had lost up to 150,000 military personnel by June 2026.
Syrskyi said the scale of Russia’s losses had reduced Moscow’s ability to advance. He attributed approximately 80% of the Russian army’s losses to drones and claimed that, in the first six months of 2026, Russia had captured just 61 square kilometers. An October assessment by the ISW shows that Moscow lost more territory in September than it occupied.
The general also rejected accusations by some military personnel concerning orders to hold positions that were nearly encircled. Dismissed in the summer of this year, he attributed his falling-out with former minister Mykhailo Fedorov to disputes over supplies and the army’s technological priorities.
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