Syrskyi: Ukraine Needs to Form New Brigades Due to Threat from Belarus

Ukraine needs to form new brigades to strengthen its northern defenses in response to a potential threat from Belarus.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this in a comment to LIGA.net.

According to Syrskyi, after failing to achieve its objectives on the main fronts, Russia has decided to expand its active military operations to northern Ukraine.

Under Russia’s plans, this would extend the active front line by approximately 160 kilometers.

Syrskyi emphasized that Russian forces hold an advantage in manpower and military equipment. To ensure Ukraine can repel a possible offensive and effectively defend the northern region, the country must establish additional brigades, he said.

“The enemy has also revised its plans and intends to form additional divisions and five new brigades this year. We have no choice but to respond accordingly. In war, you either seize the initiative or let the enemy keep it – there is no middle ground,” Syrskyi said.

Asked why Ukraine needs to create new brigades rather than simply reinforce existing ones, the Commander-in-Chief explained: “Expanding a brigade’s manpower does not increase the amount of territory or front-line distance it can effectively hold. To cover a longer front, you need additional units, not just larger ones.”

He added that a brigade “cannot simply be stretched thinner.” While increasing a brigade’s manpower can extend its effectiveness and operational lifespan as a combat unit – allowing it to carry out missions in its assigned sector for a longer period – it does not enable the brigade to cover a larger area of the front.

Syrskyi stressed that the nature of the front line has changed significantly, with the battlefield now extending much deeper than before.

“So when the front is expanding both in width and in depth, the math is unavoidable: new military units are needed,” he concluded.

Last week, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced that the military would establish new unmanned systems units (drone units) to strengthen the defense of Ukraine’s northern border.

He noted that the new units would be fully equipped with the weapons, equipment, and other resources necessary to perform their missions.