- Category
- War in Ukraine
Ukrainian Troops Outpace Russian Assaults on Front Line for the First Time
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out more offensive and counterattacking actions than Russian troops during one recent 24-hour period, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview published by Militarnyi on May 19.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
Syrskyi said the shift reflected a decrease in the intensity of Russian offensive operations and a growing number of Ukrainian counterattacks along parts of the front line.
“Yesterday’s 24-hour period, which ended at 00:00, was characterized by the fact that the number of our offensive actions for the first time exceeded the number of offensive actions by the enemy,” Syrskyi said in the interview. “That is, our counterattacking and offensive actions on the front were greater than those carried out by the enemy.”
Syrskyi linked the change to sustained strikes on Russian personnel and efforts aimed at reducing Russia’s offensive capabilities. He said Ukrainian forces continue to apply what he described as the principle of “active defense,” conducting counterattacks where necessary and offensive actions where possible.
According to Militarnyi, Syrskyi also stated that Russian forces are still attempting to intensify offensive operations while concentrating efforts on several directions, including Pokrovsk, Ocheretyne, Oleksandrivka, Kostiantynivka, Lyman, and partially Kupiansk.
He added that Russian troops are conducting lower-intensity operations near the border areas of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
At the same time, Syrskyi warned that Russian troop concentrations remain significant. He said Russia has deployed nearly 99,000 personnel in the Pokrovsk direction, describing it as the largest Russian grouping currently positioned along the front. “Of course, this is a huge figure, and we are doing everything to reduce this number,” Syrskyi said.
The commander-in-chief also referred to an earlier Ukrainian operation conducted at the end of April, saying Ukrainian forces recaptured approximately 500 square kilometers of territory and regained control of 12 settlements in the Oleksandrivka direction.
“The issue has not been completed. It has currently simply shifted into a slightly different format. I will later report exactly what kind,” Syrskyi said.
The statements come as Russian forces have maintained offensive pressure across eastern Ukraine for months, with Moscow relying on sustained assault operations and numerical advantages in manpower on several sectors of the front.
Earlier, The Economist reported that Ukraine may be gaining a battlefield advantage for the first time in years, citing growing Russian losses, expanding Ukrainian drone operations, and intensified long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
