"Appropriate actions are planned." Syrsky spoke about the situation near Siversk

Ukrainian troops had to withdraw from the city of Siversk, Donetsk region, under pressure from the Russians, but "appropriate actions are planned." This was stated in an interview with 24 channels said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"Serebryansky Forest, Bilohorivka, and Siversk are areas where heavy fighting also took place during World War II. The area itself consists of dominant heights, chalk mountains, like in Bilohorivka. Fortifications were built back then. They held and ensured such a steady defense," said Syrsky.

According to him, this direction has long been a non-priority, because the Russians were not able to conduct offensive actions. However, there were gradual actions on the part of the Russian Federation.

"Yes, there were brigades. They continued to advance, but the intensity of the fighting was lower than in other areas," stated the chief.

In that direction, the war was waged more by sabotage and maneuver groups, infantry and special forces.

"Unfortunately, the concentration of drone units by fiber-optic control channel, especially with a range of more than 20 km, led to the fact that our units, calculations, and drone crews gradually retreated into the depths, thus leaving the infantry without cover," Syrsky said.

In these circumstances, the defense of Siversk became problematic. It would have been wrong to leave the troops who were defending it to die. Therefore, a decision was made.

"We have retreated to the dominant heights. There is room to retreat. The enemy is also trying to take advantage of this, but it is not working. We are planning appropriate actions in this direction. That's all I can say about this direction," said the Chief of the Armed Forces.

• On December 11, 2025, the Armed Forces confirmed that infantry groups of the Russian Federation entered Siversk, but at that time there was no question of enemy control over the city.
• On December 23, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces withdrew from Siversk to preserve the lives and combat capability of the units.