Syrsky Summarized the First Half of the Year on the Front Lines
In the first half of 2026, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to repel a large-scale offensive by Russian troops, despite the enemy having nearly twice as many troops and resources. Thanks to active defense and the systematic attrition of the enemy, the intensity of Russian offensive operations has significantly decreased.
According to Syrsky, active defense and stabilization measures yielded tangible results.
Specifically:
- the number of operational fronts where the enemy is advancing has decreased from 13 to six or seven;
- the pace of Russian troop advances has more than halved compared to the beginning of the year;
- the occupiers’ average monthly casualties (killed and wounded) amount to approximately 32,000 servicemen.
In parallel with the fighting on the front lines, the Defense Forces continued to strike at Russia’s military and economic infrastructure.
Results for the first half of the year:
- as part of the Deep Strike operations, 697 targets on Russian territory were struck, inflicting economic losses of at least $6.1 billion on the aggressor;
- as part of the “Middle Strike” operations, more than 7,000 enemy targets were destroyed or damaged;
- artillery units carried out more than 456,000 combat missions;
- the air force and missile forces carried out more than 2,200 strikes on enemy targets.
Oleksandr Syrskyi separately emphasized the need to preserve personnel.
According to him, commanders are required to ensure the rotation of units on the front lines at least once every 60 days, as this is critical for preserving the lives, health, and combat readiness of service members.
In addition, the number of criminal offenses within the armed forces decreased by 12% during this period, indicating an improvement in discipline and law and order.
At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief warned against underestimating the enemy.
According to him, Russia has not abandoned its plans to occupy the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and is also attempting to expand its offensive into the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and create a so-called “buffer zone” in northern Ukraine.
“It is thanks to you that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not only holding back the enemy but also inflicting devastating losses on it, advancing, and liberating Ukrainian territory,” Syrskyi emphasized, thanking Ukrainian servicemen.
He added that the main task for the coming period remains the further strengthening of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ capabilities in order to force the Kremlin to accept a just peace on Ukraine’s terms.
This was announced by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi following a meeting to review the Ukrainian army’s performance in the first half of the year.
Over the past 24 hours, 283 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops were recorded on the front lines.
According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Defense Forces eliminated 1,460 Russian soldiers. The enemy also suffered losses in military equipment and weapons, which Ukrainian defenders continue to destroy across various sectors of the front.
As a reminder, a Russian strike destroyedthe office of a Kyiv-based children’s book publisher.
Russian troops struck Kharkiv and the surrounding region; four children were among the wounded.
In the Odesa region, a fire broke out at a factory following a Russian attack.
