Politico: AFU Chief Syrsky Denied Trump's Statement

RF's "achievements" on the front lines are insignificant.

Ukrainian forces continue to hold key positions in the east of the country despite increased political pressure from the US and continuous attacks by the Russian army. The AFU Commander-in-Chief Alexandr Syrsky said that Russian statements about significant territorial gains do not correspond to reality and are meant to sway international opinion.

As Politico reports, Syrsky explained at a briefing in Kiev that the real situation on the battlefield differs significantly from the picture that Moscow is trying to spread in its information campaigns. He noted that Ukrainian troops continue to offer strong resistance on all parts of the front, while Russian forces, despite significant human and material losses, show only minimal advancement.

The commander-in-chief said that the Kremlin is intensifying its information efforts in order to convince Western partners that further support for Ukraine is supposedly "pointless." It was to counter such narrative, Syrsky noted, that he was forced to provide a public assessment of the combat situation, especially given the growing pressure from US President Donald Trump. The latter said in an interview with Politico in direct text that he expected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to quickly agree to a peace deal. Early versions of the proposed plan contained a clause on the transfer of strategically important Ukrainian territories, particularly Pokrovsk, to Russia, which caused a sharp reaction from Kiev and European capitals. Zelensky made it clear that no Ukrainian land could be bargained for.

With this background, Russia announced the alleged "seizure" of a number of settlements - Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and towns in Kharkiv region. Syrsky denied these claims, emphasizing that Russian units do not have full control over Pokrovsk, and their presence in the city is often limited to small groups that stop by for staged photos with flags. He also confirmed that Ukrainian forces withdrew from parts of the city at certain stages of the fall, but that on November 15 they conducted a counteroffensive and regained control of almost half of its territory. According to the general, the Ukrainian army holds the northern part of Pokrovsk and controls a significant amount of territory west of the city. However, weather conditions - fog and rain - are creating additional difficulties, allowing the enemy to penetrate some neighborhoods, avoiding drone strikes.

Moreover, Syrsky noted that the Ukrainian side deliberately does not detail each tactical success, because each public confirmation of the return of certain positions instantly causes Russia to react - from the transfer of reserves to missile strikes on the declared areas. This leads to additional losses, which the command is trying to avoid.

Syrsky drew special attention to the fact that the real scale of the Russian advance is much smaller than the Kremlin claims. In some directions, he said, the Russian army is capable of advancing less than five kilometers a month. Given the daily losses, which the general estimated at more than a thousand military personnel, he called such a pace "an extremely insignificant result."

Politico also cites data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which it refers to in its piece. According to ISW analysts' estimates, during the current year Russia was able to capture only 0.77% of Ukraine's territory, and this advance was accompanied by excessive losses. The ISW report emphasizes that the full capture of the fortified areas of Donetsk region will take Russia at least two to three years and will be an extremely resource-intensive task that Moscow may not be able to withstand. The think tank notes that in parallel, the Kremlin is waging "cognitive warfare" in an attempt to influence the West and secure favorable diplomatic solutions without having to fight years of grueling battles over fortified towns.

Despite Russia's efforts and the large number of forces involved - some 156,000 Russian troops are stationed in the direction of Pokrovsk alone - Syrsky assured that the Ukrainian army continues to strengthen its positions and is capable of holding key areas. He emphasized that the situation remains difficult, but controlled, and Ukrainian soldiers retain the initiative in critical areas and have a clear understanding of further actions.

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