Ukraine recaptured 700 sq km of territory this year, outgoing commander-in-chief says

Jerusalem Post/World News/Russia-Ukraine WarOleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine is on the offensive while also holding the defensive line against Russia, as he prepares to hand command of the army to young general Mykhailo Drapatyi.Follow us on Google Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, awards Ukrainian fighters of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss” in the Soledar direction on July 2, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.(photo credit: Yuriy Mate/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)ByREUTERSJULY 22, 2026 09:50Updated: JULY 22, 2026 09:52Ukraine has recaptured 700 sq km (270 sq miles) of its territory this year, outgoing Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Wednesday, confirming he was leaving the top military job."I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the defense but is also on the offensive," Syrskyi said in a statement on Telegram.President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that a young major general, Mykhailo Drapatyi, would replace Syrskyi after days of street protests.The move followed the ousting, in a wider government reshuffle last week, of tech-savvy reformist defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which brought the deep divisions in the Ukrainian defense leadership into the open.Syrskyi has held the commander-in-chief position since early 2024, after playing key roles in Kyiv's defense in the early days of the war and in a lightning counteroffensive to retake swathes of the northeastern Kharkiv region in 2022.Protesters attend a demonstration against Ukraine's President's decision to dismiss Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and demanding the dismissal of Ukraine's army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, in Kyiv on July 18, 2026. (credit: Roman PILIPEY / AFP via Getty Images)Syrskyi faced backlash for his command styleBut he has faced harsh criticism for a rigid command style which some service members have said resulted in unjustifiably high troop losses.In his statement, he highlighted his track record, including stopping a Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region and an operation in Russia's Kursk region in 2024.Follow us on Google