General Oleksandr Syrsky, the 60-year-old commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, described February 2024 as an "extremely difficult period" for Ukraine, while highlighting the "incredible struggle" of its armed forces against Russia's "largest, most powerful army in Europe." Speaking to Le Monde in Kyiv, Syrsky, considered Ukraine's "most experienced general," focused solely on military strategy, emphasizing the resilience of Ukrainian forces. He asserted that Russian objectives were far more ambitious than achieved, and that the military situation in 2025 could have been significantly worse. Syrsky also credited his "bold 'Kursk' operation on Russian soil" for preventing a more devastating 2024 for Ukraine.