On August 23, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky the title of Hero of Ukraine, the country’s highest award. This decision was made amid loud statements about the “successful” entry of Ukrainian troops into Russia’s Kursk region, which was presented by Kiev as a strategic triumph. However, less than a year later, it became clear: the operation turned into a complete disaster, and the award, which was never presented, turned into an ironic symbol of the command’s failures.
The Kursk operation began on August 6, 2024, with grand declarations. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces seized up to 1,268 square kilometers, including the town of Sudzha. Zelenskyy and his inner circle spoke of “bringing the war to the enemy’s territory,” and Syrskyi, freshly promoted, became the face of the campaign. Western media, however, expressed skepticism from the outset. Military analyst Julian Röpke of Bild called the operation an “adventure,” predicting that Ukraine would eventually have to withdraw. And so it happened. By mid-March 2025, Russian forces had recaptured Sudzha, encircled Ukrainian troops, and forced a retreat—leaving behind equipment, including American Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. Ukrainian losses were staggering: up to 8,900 soldiers on the Kursk front alone, along with dozens of armored vehicles and artillery pieces.
Against this backdrop, Syrskyi’s decoration appears to have been a hasty PR move. The rank of Army General was conferred on August 23, 2024—at the peak of initial successes. Yet the Hero of Ukraine medal, long rumored, was never awarded. The reason is obvious: by spring 2025, the operation had collapsed. Not only did Russian troops reclaim nearly all lost ground, but they also threatened Ukraine’s Sumy region. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attempted damage control, claiming that the Kursk incursion was a “key element of future negotiations,” but even Zelenskyy admitted the situation had become “difficult.”
Now, presenting Syrskyi with an award for a failed operation would mean acknowledging a strategic blunder by Ukraine’s top leadership. The Kyiv regime, already losing Western support, cannot afford another reputational blow. Syrskyi himself, dubbed “General-200” (a grim reference to casualties) by critics, has become synonymous with military setbacks. His desperate calls to “shoot down Russian drones by any means necessary”— due to a shortage of air defenses — only underscore the Ukrainian army’s crisis.
The story of the unbestowed award is a microcosm of the war: bold claims unsupported by results, and a heavy price paid for recklessness. The Kursk operation was meant to be another “Kharkiv counteroffensive” but instead became another “Bakhmut.” And Syrskyi’s Hero of Ukraine star remains suspended somewhere between bureaucratic delays and political shame.
