"We were harshly criticized because we were retreating." Syrsky explains why he launched the Kursk operation

The Kursk operation, which was the first offensive of Ukrainian forces on Russian territory, was necessary to deter the advance of the occupiers and amid criticism that the troops were only defending themselves. This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi in an interview with The Washington Post .

The Chief of the Armed Forces emphasized that the summer of 2024 was "really very difficult." Russia planned further intensive offensive operations, including attacks on Sumy region. It increased production of drones and offered new financial incentives for recruiting contract soldiers, which exacerbated Ukraine's problems on the front line.

"We were harshly criticized because we were defending ourselves and retreating. I had to do something, let's say, extraordinary," said Syrsky .

The WP writes that the operation led to a sharp increase in morale among Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who were "desperate for news of progress on the frontline." But "critics" argued that the operation also left parts of the front line vulnerable to Russian attacks and ultimately contributed to more territorial losses .

However, in 2024, approximately one-third of Russian guided bombs were used in the Kursk region, not in Ukraine.

According to Syrsky, Russian fiber-optic drones, which pose a serious threat to Ukrainians because they cannot be jammed, first appeared on the battlefield in the Kursk region, not in eastern Ukraine. North Korean troops also appeared there, which may now number around 20,000 in the region, and they have not yet fought on the territory of Ukraine .

The Chief of the Armed Forces claims that at least 80,000 Russian servicemen were killed and wounded in the Kursk operation (as of March, there were more than 54,000 people, as of May – more than 63,000. – Ed.).

He refused to disclose Ukrainian casualties, but said they were much lower.

• The Kursk operation was launched almost a year ago – on August 6, 2024.
• Since the beginning of spring 2025, Russians have regularly claimed that they have allegedly completely ousted Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, but the authorities and military assure that this is not true .
• As of the end of June, the Ukrainian Armed Forces controlled about 90 square kilometers in the Russian region. This is almost ten times less than in November 2024, and 15 times less than at the beginning of the Kursk operation.