Russia's 2025 losses exceeded its recruitment as Ukraine restructures its forces for drone warfare, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed in a year-end interview.
In a wide-ranging Channel 24 conversation, Syrskyi covered peace talks, the investigation into the Huliaipole command post surrender, reforms to Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) brigades, and why Britain and France now want Ukrainian instructors to train their armies.
Peace talks and the 800,000 question
Initial negotiation proposals suggested capping Ukraine's military at 600,000 personnel—or even lower. The current working figure of 800,000 servicemen, Syrskyi confirmed, "guarantees us the repulsion of armed aggression in the event of its resumption."
Crucially, this number preserves Ukraine's mobilization capacity. "All our mobilization indicators are preserved and our capabilities are also preserved," Syrskyi said.
On the contentious question of troop withdrawals from Donetsk Oblast—including the strategically vital Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration—the general offered perspective on why Russia wants these cities handed over without a fight.
"Putin is 17 months into stalling in one place," Syrskyi noted. For nearly a year and a half, Russian forces have failed to capture the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad fortified zone despite predictions of its fall dating back to September 2024.
Russia's exhaustion shows in the numbers
The Syrskyi interview contained stark figures on Russian attrition. Moscow planned to recruit 406,000 personnel this year through conscription, mobilization, and contracts. Russian losses exceeded that—410,000 casualties.
"Even the implementation of all its plans does not allow them to increase the number of troops," Syrskyi said. Russian forces in Ukraine have plateaued at 710,000-711,000 for the past six months, unable to grow despite continuous recruitment.
The result: only seven of 14 planned new divisions were formed this year. Two Marine Corps divisions exist only as single regiments. The remaining seven formations have been postponed to next year as personnel intended for new units were cannibalized to replace combat losses.
Daily Russian casualties now average 1,000-1,100 personnel, with kill ratios reaching six-to-one or higher in some sectors.
Huliaipole: what went wrong
Syrskyi addressed the recent incident at Huliaipole, where Russian forces captured a battalion command post—complete with Ukrainian equipment, flags, and personal belongings—after the 102nd TDF Brigade withdrew.
"It happened because as a result of the unstable defense of one of the TDF brigades, which could not withstand the onslaught of the enemy during the battles," Syrskyi explained.
The battalion commander received explicit orders: organize a circular defense and destroy all valuable or confidential materials. Reinforcements from the 5th Assault Brigade were two streets away.
"I know that they had time for this. And the enemy's forces were limited there," Syrskyi said. The Military Law and Order Service is investigating.
The 225th Assault Regiment now holds Huliaipole's defense.
TDF reforms: fewer infantry, more drones
The Huliaipole incident accelerated reforms already in motion. President Zelenskyy approved Syrskyi's restructuring plan for TDF brigades—units that have struggled in high-intensity combat.
The solution: reduce infantry battalions but add two UAV battalions per brigade.
"These brigades will significantly increase their combat capabilities," Syrskyi said. "Using them as an offensive element would be impractical, but in defense, their capabilities by increasing the number of drones for various purposes several times will allow them to maintain a reliable defense."
Notably, the 125th TDF Brigade—which experienced multiple combat difficulties—has already transferred to Ground Forces command with a new commander.
Assault troops: Ukraine's firefighters
The new Assault Forces, created in 2025, represent Ukraine's adaptation to drone-dominated warfare. Syrskyi drew a clear distinction from existing Airborne Assault Forces.
Airborne assault troops are "elite heavy infantry, like the Praetorians—powerful, prepared, equipped with heavy equipment." They conduct sustained offensive and defensive operations with substantial logistics support.
Assault troops are "firefighters who extinguish fires"—light, maneuverable units for rapid crisis response.
The 225th Assault Regiment exemplifies the concept. It broke through Russian border fortifications during the Kursk operation and has since deployed to stabilize the Huliaipole direction.
"This is how the requirement of modern warfare works," Syrskyi said.
Recruitment priority goes to units on the hottest fronts: airborne assault troops, reconnaissance, marines, assault forces, and mechanized brigades in active combat zones.
Pokrovsk holds, Kupiansk cleared
Contrary to Russian claims, Ukraine maintains control of roughly half of Pokrovsk. "All the approaches to the city are under our control, under the control of the actions of our drones," Syrskyi said.
Russia directs nearly 50% of its guided bomb strikes at this sector alone, attempting to destroy high-rises useful for drone operators and snipers. Despite daily assault attempts, "they have losses, but they do not succeed."
The Dobropillia counteroffensive cleared nine settlements and 430 square kilometers of territory while inflicting 13,000 Russian casualties. The entire 51st Russian Army required emergency reinforcement by Marines originally prepared for operations elsewhere.
At Kupiansk—which Putin claimed captured three times—Ukrainian forces cleared the city and established a bridgehead north of the Oskol River. Russia transferred its elite Rubicon electronic warfare unit to the sector in response, "which is one of the signs that the enemy is concentrating its main efforts in this direction."
Artillery's 40% and the drone revolution
The fire damage ratio tells the story: unmanned systems now deliver approximately 60% of Ukrainian strike capability, with artillery providing 40%.
"Artillery has not lost its importance," Syrskyi clarified. It remains all-weather and instantaneous, particularly for remote mining operations that drones cannot replicate in volume.
But artillery without drone adjustment "is no longer artillery." The Commander-in-Chief noted the critical need for guided munitions like Copperhead rounds, which destroy targets "almost from the first shot."
Ground-based robotic systems have scaled dramatically—"several orders of magnitude more" than last year, numbering in thousands. The priority now: developing air evacuation drones capable of 10-kilometer flights at five to seven meters altitude to extract wounded from positions that ground platforms cannot reach.
What comes next
Britain's Defense Chief and France's General Staff chief have both requested Ukrainian assistance in training their forces—a shift Syrskyi highlighted in the interview as validation of Ukraine's military transformation.
"The vector has changed," Syrskyi said. "They are interested in us giving our instructors, our officers in order to provide assistance in the training of their armed forces."
For the Commander-in-Chief, this represents the highest validation: "We are not in the role of beggars. They turn to us and tell me: yes, you are the first in Europe, and probably in the world."
