Ukraine’s Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has confirmed that Ukrainian command has offensive plans, stating that victory cannot be achieved through defensive operations alone.

In an interview with TSN, Syrskyi emphasized the necessity of offensive action for military success.

“We have plans, of course. Victory cannot be achieved in defence – only in offence,” Syrskyi told a journalist, who asked whether he sees room for another bold operation similar to the offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

The commander outlined Ukraine’s strategic approach to ending the war, explaining that “we must inflict such losses on him [the enemy] that he will go [for it]” not from a position of strength, but on Ukraine’s terms.

The statement comes amid reports of international pressure for offensive action. The Washington Post, citing an anonymous Ukrainian official, reported that during a 4 July phone call, US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine needs to go on the offensive to achieve victory.

Kursk operation results

The Defense Forces’ last major offensive operation was the Kursk campaign, which began in August 2024. According to military reports, Ukrainian defenders were forced to withdraw from most of the Russian oblast in spring 2025. Russian forces managed to occupy part of Sumy Oblast on another section of the border.

Syrskyi previously reported strategic gains from the Kursk operation. In June, the commander said that the operation drew nearly 63,000 Russians and approximately 7,000 North Korean soldiers, weakening Russian pressure on other fronts and allowing Ukraine to regroup its forces.

The commander also reported that active Defense Forces operations in another area of Kursk Oblast in April disrupted Russian offensive group reinforcements in occupied territories. Beyond parts of Kursk region, Ukrainian forces maintain presence in Russia’s Belgorod region.

According to Syrskyi, Russia’s total losses during the year-long Kursk operation reached 77,000 military personnel.