AFU’s chief Syrsky says Russia’s gains near Dobropillya came at a heavy cost, while Ukraine bets on AI, drones, and robotic platforms to cut risks on the battlefield.

Aug. 18, 2025

Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said, while Russian troops suffered defeat in the Sumy sector, they managed to advance 10-12 kilometers toward several Ukrainian settlements near Dobropillya in the Donetsk region.

Russia’s “victorious mood” quickly shifted to despair

In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Syrsky stated:

“In the Sumy region, the enemy, one might say, suffered defeat.”

He revealed that Russia had concentrated some of its strongest units in the region – paratroopers, marines, and elite motorized rifle forces – but “the enemy has not had any success in the last two months.”

“On the contrary, Russia has lost several settlements,” he added.

According to Syrsky, the last Russian attempt to advance in the Stepne and Novokostyantynivka areas “ended in complete failure for them. They were eliminated, thrown back across the border.”

He said that Russia tried to exploit the difficult terrain and the absence of a continuous front line near Dobropillya. But once Ukrainian reinforcements arrived, Syrsky said, Russia’s “victorious mood” quickly shifted to despair.

He admitted that Russian forces had advanced 10-12 kilometers toward several settlements in the Dobropillya sector, but stressed that the area’s geography favored covert movement.

“The terrain there is full of ravines and rivers – natural features that allow for concealed movement. In summer, dense vegetation makes it difficult to control the line of contact,” he said.

He added that the lack of a continuous frontline troop coverage in this sector gave Russia an initial advantage.

“But after a number of decisive measures were taken, additional airborne units were transferred, we cleared settlements and areas, and the enemy’s victorious mood changed to despair. Their publications on social media initially had the tone of ‘forward, victory,’ and now – ‘surrounded. The end,’” Syrsky said.

He said that Ukraine is not relying on passive defense.

“We adhere to the principle of never going into passive defense. Our defense is active. If we take the statistics of combat operations over the recent period, then in fact one-sixth to one-seventh of all combat actions at the front are our offensive or counteroffensive operations,” Syrsky said.

Syrsky also cited the defense of Pokrovsk as an example, saying that although the Russian forces expected to capture the town last fall, the Ukrainian military continues to hold its positions.

“If you calculate how much the enemy lost in the battles in this area, I think entire fields would be covered with the bodies of its soldiers. This is the price of every square meter of our land,” he said.

According to him, the Ukrainian military will continue to adhere to tactics of active defense, though the details of future actions are not being disclosed.

Russia’s drone improvements and Ukraine’s countermeasures

Russia is constantly improving its drones, including Iranian-made Shaheds, which are now equipped with modern interception protection systems and even self-destruct mechanisms.

According to Syrsky, Shaheds are already being fitted with optical guidance systems, 12-16-channel antennas that make them resistant to interference, as well as fire and collision avoidance sensors.

These features allow Russian drones to perform automatic defensive maneuvers, making them more difficult to destroy.

“In fact, all long-range drones currently used by the enemy – even the Gerans, which Russia employs as decoys – are equipped with explosives for self-destruction,” the AFU’s chief said.

“So that this drone cannot be captured after it falls and to destroy all those who approach. You have to be very careful: when such a drone falls, it can explode,” said Syrsky.

He added that the Ukrainian forces are actively increasing the number of high-tech air defense systems and modernizing mobile fire groups, equipping them with sights using artificial intelligence.

Syrsky said that military aviation has shown significant effectiveness against drones:

“Helicopters with machine gun weapons show great effectiveness. I can say that from August last year to August this year, they shot down over 3,200 Shahed drones – these are impressive numbers.”

Ukrainian forces also actively use light aircraft and anti-aircraft missile systems.

The general added that interceptor drones are a promising area of development.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/58419