Photo: facebook.com CinCAFofUkraine
Last year was a serious test for Ukraine, as Russia sought to end the war on its own terms through military defeat, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Syrskyi said the enemy attempted to capture the remaining territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, the right bank of Kherson, and even planned an advance toward Odesa to completely cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea.
“We prevented critical breakthroughs by the enemy, disrupted their plans, and repeatedly forced them to postpone the timing of planned operations,” Syrskyi stated. He emphasized that Ukrainian forces operated at the limits of their capabilities, inflicting maximum losses on the Russian army. Over the year, the enemy’s manpower was reduced by more than 418,000 personnel killed and wounded.
“This year has proven that we are capable of systematically exhausting the enemy and significantly reducing its potential. The defense forces prevented the aggressor from realizing its plans, maintained strategic positions, and laid the groundwork for future actions,” the commander added.
Shelling of Odesa region
Southern Ukraine, particularly Odesa and its region, has long been a target of Russia’s massive combined attacks. The region has already experienced blackouts due to damage to energy infrastructure. Russian strikes have also targeted port facilities and foreign ships in the Black Sea.
In 2025, there were reports that Russia intended to capture Odesa and push toward the borders with Moldova and Romania. However, then-spokesman of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, noted that the likelihood of an amphibious landing on the Odesa coast was extremely low.
Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian attacks on Odesa aim to worsen Ukraine’s economic situation. At the same time, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, emphasized that there is no land-based military threat to Odesa.
