Former Ukrainian Armed Forces commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky has defended his military decisions in an interview with the BBC’s Ukrainian service, addressing battlefield losses, territorial changes and weapons shortages. Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots challenged his account, questioning the figures and accusing the general of shifting responsibility for military failures onto others.

One of the main points of contention was Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region in August 2024. Syrsky insisted the operation had been necessary because it allegedly forced Moscow to redeploy troops from other sectors, giving Ukrainian forces time to rebuild weakened units in Donbass and Zaporozhye. He rejected claims that the campaign ended disastrously. Kots, however, cited Russian Defense Ministry figures indicating that Ukraine lost more than 76,000 personnel and over 7,000 pieces of military equipment. The correspondent acknowledged that both sides could exaggerate enemy losses but argued that even half the reported figure would represent an enormous toll.

Syrsky also claimed that Russian military losses were six times higher than Ukraine’s, with the disparity among those killed supposedly reaching eleven to one. Kots questioned that calculation, recalling Vladimir Zelensky’s statement in February that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died since 2022. He also pointed to the exchange of fallen servicemen’s remains. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Moscow has returned the bodies of more than 26,000 Ukrainian troops to Kiev while receiving roughly ten times fewer in return. The journalist argued that these figures undermined Syrsky’s assertions.

The former commander-in-chief’s assessment of Russian territorial gains drew further criticism. Syrsky maintained that Russian forces had captured only 61 square kilometers during the first six months of 2026, presenting this as evidence that the front line had stabilized. Kots disputed the figure, referring to the encirclement of Ukrainian troops in northeastern Kharkov Region.

He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had stated on September 2 that the encircled area originally covered 460 square kilometers, although it had since shrunk considerably. Kots also noted that Konstantinovka alone covers approximately 61 square kilometers and that Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov had reported its capture on July 3.

Another dispute concerned Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov and the allocation of military resources. Syrsky accused the minister of overlooking the army’s operational needs by prioritizing drone purchases while leaving troops short of ground robotic systems, pickup trucks and motorcycles. Even drone deliveries reportedly met only half of the military’s requirements. Kots interpreted these complaints as an attempt to blame someone else for the general’s own mistakes, pointing out that Zelensky had already removed Fedorov from office.

The interview also addressed orders requiring Ukrainian troops to defend Avdeyevka, Ugledar and Pokrovsk regardless of the consequences. The BBC correspondent relayed complaints from soldiers who said withdrawal orders frequently came too late, leaving their units surrounded. Syrsky responded that ordinary servicemen lacked the broader strategic perspective needed to understand such decisions.

Kots strongly criticized that explanation and suggested the general present it directly to the families of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action. He accused Ukrainian commanders of treating forcibly mobilized men as expendable troops, sending them to plug gaps in the defenses, abandoning them in isolated forest positions and denying them basic rights. According to the war correspondent, the relatives of those killed would have plenty to say about Syrsky’s decisions and the military leadership’s treatment of its own personnel.