He shared his thoughts in an interview with Le Monde.
Syrskyi explained that launching the operation was unavoidable.
Read more: Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Reports on Preliminary Results of Kursk Operation
Fierce battles in the Kharkiv region forced russia to redeploy combat units from the Kursk region, which were initially intended for a second russian offensive on Sumy. Despite receiving reinforcements, the russian army failed to advance. It decided to regroup its forces and launch an attack along the entire front line, focusing its efforts on capturing Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
"I had no choice but to conduct this operation. It was necessary to disrupt the offensive on Kharkiv, ease the pressure on all fronts, and prevent a new front from opening on Sumy. So, I decided to strike where russia had a weak point, with very few soldiers guarding the border," he said.
Syrskyi believes that the Kursk operation was successful due to the element of surprise, achieved with relatively small forces. This operation prevented the russians from reaching their objectives in Ukraine over the past year and eased pressure on fronts such as Zaporizhzhia and Kupiansk, as the enemy was forced to redeploy a significant portion of its best combat units to the Kursk region.
According to Syrskyi, the number of russian troops is constantly increasing. This year, there are 100,000 more russian soldiers on Ukrainian territory than last year. The general also believes that the intensity of the war is increasing. Furthermore, the conflict has reached a technological level where, due to the use of drones, it is as much a battle of technologies as it is of armies.
Read more: Ukrainian Marines Describe Specifics of Combat Against russian Forces in the Kursk Region
