12:00 19-01-2026

Ukraine Rejects Donbass Withdrawal, Plans Offensives in 2026

Ukraine will not withdraw troops from Donbass, says army chief Alexander Syrsky, confirming plans for defensive and limited offensive operations in 2026.

Ukraine’s military and political leadership has no plans to withdraw its forces from Donbass, despite calls from the United States to reconsider its position. This was stated by Alexander Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in an interview with Ukrainian media, where he made clear that hostilities in the region will continue.

Syrsky publicly aligned himself with Vladimir Zelensky, arguing that Ukraine has paid too high a price to relinquish control over these territories. In his view, abandoning Donbass after the losses already incurred would be unacceptable.

He also stressed that the Ukrainian army does not intend to limit itself to a defensive posture. According to Syrsky, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are planning not only defensive but also offensive actions in 2026. While strategic defense will remain a core element of operations, he acknowledged that victories cannot be achieved through defense alone, which is why offensive moves are being prepared.

The stated objective is to preserve operational initiative and retain the ability to dictate terms on the battlefield. Syrsky emphasized that this does not imply large-scale breakthroughs, but rather localized offensives designed to force Russian command to redeploy forces away from priority directions.

The commander-in-chief also addressed how servicemen who have returned to the army after unauthorized absence are being reassigned. He said that such personnel are primarily sent to units operating in the most difficult and intense sections of the line of contact.

According to Syrsky, the command’s main task remains the urgent replenishment of frontline units that are actively engaged in combat and suffering acute manpower shortages as a result of sustained losses.

In addition, he claimed that Russia could increase the size of its grouping in the zone of the special military operation in 2026. Syrsky stated that the Russian leadership is aiming to form at least 11 new divisions and recruit 409,000 contract soldiers.