Syrsky said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that Russia had "superior aviation" and "very strong" air defenses. Because of this Ukraine was forced to rely more on unmanned aerial vehicles.
The general explained that F-16 fighters could only be used 40 kilometers (25 miles) or further away from the front-line due to the risks of being downed.
On July 10, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the first batch of F-16 fighter jets would be handed over to Ukraine in summer. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the United States and its NATO allies that Moscow saw the presence of nuclear capable F-16s in Ukraine as a nuclear threat.
Syrsky also said that mobilization was needed to create necessary reserves and demanded that those evading the mandatory draft joined the military to "fulfil their constitutional duty."
Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. The martial law and mobilization have been extended repeatedly since then. Under martial law, men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine.