The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky reported on what he had done in one year in office. Syrsky also outlined the eight priorities for the Armed Forces. The message of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was published on his Facebook page, FOKUS reported.
"A year ago, on February 8, 2024, I had the honor of being appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The army continues the unprecedented struggle against an enemy that surpasses it in terms of personnel, equipment, ammunition and missiles.
The military leadership of the Armed Forces was also renewed and new commanders were appointed. Throughout the year, my deputies, the General Staff team, commanders and our soldiers and sailors, sergeants and foremen, officers and generals were next to me in the ranks", writes Sirsky.
"The Defense Forces are also with us".
"Together we defend Ukraine. Together we stopped the enemy's offensive in the Kharkiv region, prevented an offensive in the Sumy region and transferred the war to the enemy's territory. Together we hold back the aggressor's continuing offensive to the east", added the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"During the year, we destroyed more enemy manpower, military equipment and military facilities than in the previous years of the war. I am grateful to each of you who are fighting for our country with dedication and courage.
"It is an honor for me to be in the same ranks with you.
I would like to remind you that a year ago we participated in a heavy defense of Avdiivka and our units were semi-encircled. One of my first decisions as Supreme Commander-in-Chief was to order an organized withdrawal from the city, which was destroyed by artillery and anti-aircraft guns," recalled Sirsky.
"This is our main priority: saving human lives"
"We are fighting for our land, but the life of the Ukrainian soldier is the most important thing. That is why the Armed Forces have developed and are implementing a comprehensive program to save the lives of servicemen. The main areas of the program are: technologizing the army, improving the training of Ukrainian defenders, and improving medical care at all stages. An important aspect of the program is the actions of military unit commanders, as they bear maximum responsibility for saving the lives of their personnel.
Priority 2: Delivering strikes from afar.
"In 2024, the government will send more than 1.3 million unmanned aerial vehicles to the front line. We were the first in the world to create the Unmanned Systems Forces and increased the scale of existing legendary units such as "Ptahí Madyara", "Achilles", K-2, and others. We are developing the areas of robotic platforms, land and sea unmanned aerial vehicles. Over the past year, the number of targets hit by various types of attack drones exceeded 461,000".
A year ago, the advantage of Russian troops in artillery ammunition was approximately 1:10. Today, this ratio has dropped to almost 1:2.
I am grateful to our partner countries that supply ammunition. I express my gratitude to Ukrainian arms manufacturers who are increasing production and strengthening the front line with weapons and military equipment marked "Made in Ukraine".
"This was also made possible thanks to our targeted destruction of Russian artillery. Over the year, we destroyed about 13,050 enemy artillery systems (compared to 8,400 in the previous two years). "Successful counter-battery operations, together with the work of unmanned aerial vehicles, put an end to the dominance of Russian guns on the battlefield," Syrsky emphasized.
Priority 3: To win, prepare.
"Despite Russia's constant pressure on the battlefield, we are making every effort to improve the training of Ukrainian servicemen. The period of basic combined military training has been extended to 1.5 months. This has allowed us to expand the training program to include the necessary modern elements, including electronic warfare and unmanned aerial vehicles.".
"We are considering the possibility of extending the duration of basic training to 2 months. We are strengthening the training of instructors. We have conducted a successful experiment in conducting basic combined military training (BZVP) in the logistics of combat brigades. In addition, I insist on providing a 14-day adaptation course in military units, even before the combat mission. The more prepared and psychologically stable the soldier is, the stronger our positions will be on the frontline.
"This year, for the first time, training on foreign models of weapons and military equipment is being conducted in Ukraine, and not abroad, which significantly optimizes costs and time. This was made possible thanks to an increase in the number of instructors trained abroad".
"The share of sergeants and key specialists, such as snipers, sappers and combat medics, trained in Ukraine has also increased compared to the share of foreigners".
Priority 4: Russia under fire.
"Strikes against military targets on the territory of the Russian Federation continue to increase. Military units, arsenals, warehouses, workshops of the military-industrial complex, oil refineries that provide fuel for the Russian army, and other objects will be attacked as long as Moscow's aggression against our country continues.
"The range of DeepStrike strikes deep into Russian territory has already reached 1,700 kilometers. We are preparing new long-range weapons, and they will be used.
This year, 377 military objects were successfully hit with complex fire on the territory of the Russian Federation.
"The Air Force and other components of the defense forces destroyed 9,200 air targets of various types during the year, which is 2.4 times more than in 2023 (3,798)".
Priority 5: non-standard actions. Not only in the field of defense.
"Ukraine is capable of counterattacking, striking and driving back the enemy. This was proven by the defense of Kiev, the offensive in Kharkov and the liberation of the right-bank Kherson region. The Kursk operation also showed this. We created a buffer zone in the Kursk region, destroying the enemy's plan to launch a new offensive towards Sumy and Kharkov. This operation also relieved pressure on some parts of the front line".
"During the six months of active hostilities on the territory of the Russian Federation, the total losses of the Russian troops in manpower amounted to more than 47,000 people, of whom over 19,000 were killed. And these are the most prepared Russian troops. A group of North Korean mercenaries was also defeated".
"During the operation, 924 servicemen of the Russian army were captured. The replenishment of the exchange fund made it possible to release some of our servicemen, including those who had been in captivity since the spring of 2022.
The creation of new mechanized brigades helped to include fresh units in the Kursk Offensive. Thanks to this, we were able to withdraw three brigades of airborne assault troops from the Donetsk region to restore their combat capability, man and equip them, as a result of which we held hundreds of square kilometers of the territory of the aggressor country for more than 6 months".
Priority 6: change to win.
"A year ago, we began an audit of military units and military command and control bodies, including the General Staff. The audit led to the disbandment or reduction of a number of military structures and institutions, which allowed us to eliminate duplication of functions, eliminate unnecessary functions and reduce unnecessarily bloated personnel. The General Staff has become an effective military command and control body.
"We used the released personnel to staff operational and tactical command and control bodies and combat military units. About 70,000 servicemen were sent to the combat zone as a result of reducing the number of security, support and support units.
We introduced a system for the promotion and appointment of officers to military command and control bodies depending on the participation (experience) of servicemen in combat operations during the repulsion of the large-scale invasion of Russia. Intermediate levels of command were reduced and new military command and control bodies were formed".
"The headquarters of the General Staff and the office of the Supreme Commander were reinforced with experienced combat generals and officers. The command staff of the formations and units was significantly renewed. The main criterion for appointment is the ability to effectively perform combat missions while preserving the life and health of subordinates.
"This year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have fully adopted NATO standards and principles in the training and command of troops.
Priority 7: Capacity Building.
"During the year, the Armed Forces have increased their combat capabilities, which allowed us to prevent the enemy's breakthrough and stop his offensive, despite the increase in the number of enemy troops by another 140,000 people.
We have created assault units (companies and battalions) that have proven their effectiveness during active combat operations (offensives), including in the Kursk region. Today, on their basis, we are forming assault regiments.
"We have also managed to significantly increase the capabilities of the armed forces to conduct combat operations in the electromagnetic spectrum. We have additionally formed an electronic warfare battalion, more than a hundred electronic warfare companies in brigades, and electronic warfare units in the line battalions of brigades".
"The formation of a separate center for training electronic warfare specialists has begun. The "Iceberg" electronic warfare control system has been developed and implemented in the troops. 83 of the latest electronic warfare devices have been codified and tens of thousands of them have been delivered to the troops. The capabilities of the "Pokrova" radio-electronic warfare subsystem have been increased.
"We have increased the air cover capabilities of fighter jets by deploying F-16 aircraft. We are also strengthening our air defense with Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters, which have already been provided by our French partners.
"We have improved counteraction and engagement of unmanned aerial vehicles by engaging combined aviation and helicopter units and crews to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles. Counteraction to guided aerial bombs and the defeat of KABs was improved through the additional implementation of modern hardware and software systems and electronic warfare equipment.
"We ensured direct protection of priority objects of critical infrastructure in the fuel and energy sector and industry".
"We guaranteed that the enemy's surface forces were prohibited from operating in the western part of the Black Sea, thus creating conditions for launching the sea corridor and exports to and from Ukrainian ports.
We forced the Russian Black Sea Fleet to withdraw almost all warships, including the "Caliber" carriers, from Sevastopol and Feodosia to Novorossiysk.
The experience of three years of combat operations against superior enemy forces dictates the need for changes in the formation of groupings and the structure of troops to become more stable and manageable. We see and understand this. That is why these changes will happen soon. In particular, the transition to a corps system initiated by me".
"We have conducted a thorough analysis of the effectiveness of the existing command and control system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Based on its results, the National Security and Defense Council has put into effect the Concept of Reorganization of the Armed Forces in Military Terms, which we have developed in order to maximize the combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine".
"We have almost begun the formation of army corps as the first step towards improving our army".
"Despite the fact that the reform must be carried out in a march, we are consistently and confidently moving along this path. In the future, we will build a clear corps structure".
"At the end of the third year of the large-scale war, we continue to fight, no matter how difficult it is. We are optimizing mobilization and intensifying recruitment. At the same time, under the current circumstances, we cannot do without transferring and seconding servicemen from non-combat units to combat units. This process is currently underway. After all, if the front line collapses, as they say, all our plans will be worthless".
Priority 8: Unity is the key to our resilience.
"I have spent this year with our soldiers. I regularly meet with them on the front line, hear their suggestions and wishes, and work with them at checkpoints to develop new solutions for the front line".
"I know they are tired. For many of them, this war has been going on for 11 years. The last three years have been spent without a break, in constant struggle.
Are there any problems? Yes, there are. But we are aware of these challenges and are doing everything possible to overcome them.
"History proves it: Ukraine will exist as long as its Armed Forces exist. And the Armed Forces will fight as long as the Ukrainian people stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Let us not forget that unity is what helped us survive in 2022, and what should lead us to victory now. I perceive this as my mission and I am fulfilling it.
And finally, but most importantly".
"When you see a tired Ukrainian soldier who has returned from the front for a few days to see his family, approach him and thank him. Because we are all family. Because this soldier is the only one standing between you and the ruthless Russian invader".