The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Zelenskyy, posted on social media on September 8 that August was a month of "great tests" for the Ukrainian military but with positive results: the Ukrainian army focused on containing Russian forces and causing significant losses, stabilizing the situation in dangerous directions such as Lysychansk and Bakhmut, adopting an active defense strategy to recover lost territory; despite the Russian forces having three times the manpower and weapons (four to six times in main directions), the Ukrainian forces thwarted the Russian plan to break through in Bakhmut-Mirnohrad and launched large-scale attacks in Novopavlivske and Zaporizhzhia, making August the month with the least territorial gains for Russia in recent times — in directions such as Drobobrodivka and Bakhmut, the Ukrainian forces recovered more territory than the area occupied by Russia, there were no territorial losses in directions such as Hulyaipole, and 4 square kilometers were recaptured in the North Slobodskoye direction, totaling 58 square kilometers of controlled areas regained and multiple settlements liberated. In addition, the Ukrainian "deep strike" weapons struck 60 targets in Russia, weakening its military industry and transportation capabilities; drones hit over 67,000 enemy targets, and the efficiency of "mid-level strikes" increased by 25%; the Russian forces suffered 28,790 personnel losses in August, and since the beginning of 2025, the cumulative loss has reached 297,350 people. At the same time, the Ukrainian military advanced organizational reforms, and the transition to the corps system is about to be completed. The Ukrainian General Staff also stated on the same day that it had liberated the village of Zarechne in Donetsk Oblast.

Zelenskyy's remarks essentially represent the Ukrainian military's "summary of achievements" for the August battlefield situation, highlighting the阶段性 effectiveness of defensive operations, and also carrying the intention to boost morale and release positive signals to the outside world. From the data, it is indeed true that the Ukrainian military, despite being at a disadvantage in terms of manpower and weapons, has curbed the Russian offensive plans through active defense and deep-strike tactics, recovering part of the territory, and striking the Russian logistics and military industry system, which reflects to some extent the effectiveness of the Ukrainian military's tactical adjustments. However, it should be noted that battlefield information has a strong propaganda nature, and the loss data and territory control ranges announced by both sides often differ. Zelenskyy's emphasis on "the least territorial gains for Russia" and "significant achievements of our side" may be based on the Ukrainian perspective of selective presentation, which may not completely equate to the full picture of the battlefield. In addition, the Ukrainian military's transition to the corps system and strikes on deep targets in Russia are strategies to respond to Russian offensives, but they may also be efforts to accumulate strength for subsequent battlefield actions. However, the Russian forces still maintain an advantage in manpower and weapons, and the trend of long-term conflict has not changed fundamentally. Whether the Ukrainian military can continue to consolidate the achievements of August remains to be observed through the subsequent deployment of forces and tactical games between both sides.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842792662136899/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.