Ukrainian foreign minister urges not to fall for claims that Russia is winning war
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, has called on external observers of the Russia-Ukraine war not to fall for claims that "Russia is winning," as the real situation gives no grounds for such conclusions.
"Assumptions that Russia is winning the war are incorrect. They are based on a widespread trend among foreign analysts to underestimate Ukraine and overestimate Russia. This pattern has repeatedly proven to be wrong, yet people continue to fall into the same trap," Sybiha noted on X.
The minister pointed out that the situation on the front lines has been and remains difficult, and that the Russian forces indeed outnumber Ukraine’s. However, Russia has failed to break through the front or achieve any strategic success.
Sybiha said that Russia’s winter offensives have already been exhausted at a high cost, so much so that Moscow had to request military assistance from North Korea, while Ukraine managed to stabilise the front line and regain small territories, particularly around Pokrovsk.
He reiterated that the Kremlin aimed to drive Ukrainian forces out of Russia’s Kursk Oblast within a few months, but those efforts have now dragged on for nine months. At the current pace of Russian advances in Donetsk Oblast, it would take Moscow many years to fully occupy the oblast.
"Watching the current events, we should not forget about the ‘bigger picture’, which shows that Russia's full-scale invasion has been a complete disaster. It began with a ‘blitzkrieg’ and the goal of destroying Ukraine and overthrowing its government in a matter of days. In three years, Russia has lost more than 950,000 military personnel in killed and wounded, but has not managed to capture a single additional oblast centre," said Andrii Sybiha, reiterating that Ukraine managed to recapture the only such Russian prey, Kherson, in 2022, as well as more than half of the territories occupied after 24 February.
The minister added that over the past years, Ukraine has increased its defence production sixfold, now independently covering about 40% of its needs and producing 95% of the drones used at the front. These drones account for about two-thirds of all Russian targets hit.
"Drones struck approximately 77,000 Russian targets on the front lines in March 2025 alone – 10% more than in February – and Ukraine’s drone capabilities continue to grow every week," Sybiha noted.
"Ukraine seeks peace more than anyone else in the world. We never wanted this war... What we truly need is pressure on Russia and a clear strengthening of Ukraine, which would strip Moscow of any illusions that they can still turn the tide in their favour," he concluded.
Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the coming week will be "critically important" for the US to decide whether to continue efforts to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine.
He also noted that Trump is in no rush to tighten sanctions against Russia, as diplomatic efforts have not yet been exhausted.