DISINFO: Colonel General Syrskyi admitted the complete failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive
SUMMARY
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, admitted the failure of Ukraine’s summer counter-offensive. Syrskyi's statements confirm that the strategic initiative has passed to Russian troops.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine’s alleged desperation on the battlefield, part of a wider disinformation campaign to promote the idea of a failed Ukrainian defence, the inevitability of Russia’s victory and ultimately the need to compromise and accept Russia’s terms.
The disinformation is based on a 15-minute interview with the German TV channel ZDF, which was recorded a few days before the appointment of Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Syrskyi did not comment on the spring-summer offensive of Ukraine in 2023 and did not talk about any superiority of the enemy on the battlefield.
Answering a journalist's question about his assessment of the front-line situation, the Commander-in-Chief stated that the situation in Ukraine is very tense, characterised by daily offensive actions by Russia in several directions. Syrskyi noted that, in fact, the Russian army initiated its offensive in October 2023.
The Colonel General pointed out that, in response, Ukrainian forces shifted from offensive to defensive operations. He elaborated that the objective is to deplete Russia's forces by leveraging Ukraine's technical advantages.
The Commander-in-Chief also added that Ukraine, regardless of the circumstances, persists in its fight for freedom and independence. The conflict will continue until the Ukrainian Armed Forces restore the 1991 borders of Ukraine. "Other options are not being considered, as we simply have no other choice," Syrskyi emphasised.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the Russian army prioritises its soldiers’ lives Ukraine sends its troops to slaughter, that Ukraine is training pensioners as tank crews because its military reserves are gone, that Ukraine’s armed forces kill the wounded and sell their organs, that Ukraine is using anti-retreat troops to shoot in the back those soldiers who try to surrender, or that Western weapons are of no help to Ukraine’s failing counteroffensive.