Defense forces liberate 58 square kilometers of territory in August, says CinC Syrskyi

This was reported by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi on Facebook following a meeting to review the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in August, according to Ukrinform. 

"August 2025 was a month of great trials for our army, but in the end, we achieved many positive results. We focused our efforts on containing the enemy and inflicting maximum losses on them. We had to stabilize the situation in the most threatening areas, such as Lyman, Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka, while at the same time applying active defense tactics, restoring lost territories, protecting our cities from enemy missiles and drones, and striking deep into Russia," Syrskyi said.

According to him, “at the same time, August was a month of organizational changes in the Armed Forces. We are completing the transition to a corps system, army corps are acquiring their powers, accepting sets of troops and areas of responsibility. This reform is beginning to bear fruit. Troop management is becoming more efficient and effective.”

Syrskyi noted that the enemy has a threefold advantage in forces and resources on the front line, and in the main areas of concentration, it can prevail four to six times over. He expressed his deep gratitude to Ukrainian officers, sergeants, and especially soldiers, whose professional skills, resilience, dedication, and bravery are thwarting the plans of the Russian invaders.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that "in August, the enemy expected to achieve a strategic advantage, break through and encircle our troops in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration, and planned large-scale offensive operations in the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions. However, our troops prevented these plans from being realized. The Russians were forced to postpone their offensive in Zaporizhzhia and transfer marine units to Donetsk Oblast."

"In fact, the month when the invaders hoped for their breakthroughs and made every effort to achieve them turned out to be the month with the enemy's smallest territorial gains in recent times. For example, in the Dobropillia direction, where the enemy created an offensive group, the Russians captured 13.5 square kilometers but lost 25.5 square kilometers. In the Pokrovsk direction, their gain was 5 square kilometers, while our troops regained control of 26 square kilometers. The defense forces did not allow any losses of territory in the Huliaipilia and Prydniprovia directions, and in the Pivnichno-Slobozhanskyi direction, they also recaptured 4 square kilometers," the commander-in-chief emphasized.

According to him, “the enemy is using the tactic of ‘creeping’ advancement with small infantry groups, trying to infiltrate populated areas, using the space between positions and avoiding combat.” 

“At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have their own successes. During August, control over 58 square kilometers of territory was restored, and a number of settlements were liberated,” Syrskyi emphasized.

According to him, during August, Ukrainian Deep Strike weapons hit 60 targets on Russian territory. The Russian Federation's capabilities to produce fuel and lubricants for the army, their aviation weapons, missiles and UAVs, air defense systems were weakened, and the functioning of the transport system was disrupted. 

In total, Ukrainian drones struck more than 67,000 enemy targets last month. The effectiveness of strikes under the Middle Strike program increased by 25%, Syrskyi concluded.

The meeting also discussed problematic issues and proposals for their resolution. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine set specific tasks for the next period.

"We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are defending our land, and we are on the right course: to exhaust the enemy, to destroy it, to achieve the results Ukraine needs. In August alone, the invaders lost 28,790 personnel. And since the beginning of 2025, 297,350 Russian invaders have been eliminated and wounded," Syrskyi added. 

As reported by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have taken full control of the village of Zarichne in Donetsk region.

Photo: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / CinC AF of Ukraine