- Category
- Latest news
Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi: US Support Has Decreased, Europe Now Primary Military Donor
- Authors
![Ivan_khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has confirmed a significant shift in the flow of international military assistance, noting that European partners are now providing the majority of aid to Ukraine, as US support has declined.
In an interview with LB.ua, Syrskyi stated that while partner assistance remains critical, recent changes have altered the balance of international support. “Partner support plays a decisive role, especially when the United States was helping us. Now, assistance from the US has decreased, and most support is coming from our European partners,” he said.
Despite the drop in American aid, Syrskyi emphasized Ukraine’s growing capability to rely on its own defense production. He pointed to progress in domestic manufacturing of artillery, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and drones, stating that Ukrainian-made systems are now being studied by foreign partners.
According to him, Ukraine now operates a wide variety of drones capable of striking enemy targets on tactical, operational, and strategic levels.
Asked whether Ukraine could continue its defense efforts without US support, Syrskyi replied: “Yes, of course,” while underlining the necessity of continued international cooperation. “Partner support is essential, but we must also rely on our own capabilities,” he added.
Syrskyi noted that over the past year, Ukraine’s defense industry has significantly accelerated its development. “This year will also give us a substantial boost. We’ve essentially entered a fast-track mode of operation, and the situation requires the full mobilization of our capabilities,” he said.
He also highlighted successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian ammunition depots as part of long-range operations. According to Syrskyi, these operations—referred to as deepstrike—have halved Russia’s daily artillery usage from over 40,000 rounds to approximately 27,000–28,000.
He added that the recent increase in Russian ammunition expenditure might be linked to support from North Korea or Iran, as well as Russia’s own growing production efforts.
In discussing Ukraine’s use of unmanned technologies, Syrskyi stated that the country had created the world’s first dedicated Unmanned Systems Forces.
He confirmed that the project now covers dozens of brigades, helping reduce the risk to personnel and enhancing technical capabilities. The long-range component of Ukraine’s drone program has reached targets over 1,700 kilometers away, according to the Commander-in-Chief.
In addition to drone production, Syrskyi reported an uptick in the domestic manufacturing of mines and ammunition, describing this as an interconnected process: “You can’t increase drone output without also increasing the production of munitions.”
Earlier, The Economist reported that Ukraine’s weapons production tripled in 2024, reaching $10 billion—ten times more than in 2022. According to the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, this rapid growth involves over 800 companies and 300,000 workers, with targets set for 5 million FPV drones, 30,000 long-range drones, and 3,000 cruise missiles.
