Russian Forces Advance โขin Southern Ukraine Amid Drone Dominance and Ukrainian Troop Shortages
KYIV,Ukraine – Ukrainian forces โขhave retreated approximately ten โkilometers along the southern front followingโ a sustained Russian offensive characterized byโฃ intense artillery fire -โ around 2,000 shellsโข -โค and widespread drone deployment. The Russian military is focusingโฃ its effortsโ on capturing the town of Hulyajpole and severing supply routes leading northโฃ toโข Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which isโ regularly targeted by Russian drones โขand glide bombs.
Militaryโค observers have reported a Russian breakthrough in the area, with Moscow โclaiming the capture of several locations.โค This advance is attributed toโ a growing shortage of Ukrainian soldiers andโ a importantโ Russian advantage in drone technology.
The situation is โคcompoundedโ by a surge in desertions and unauthorized absences within the Ukrainian armed forces. Over 20,000 cases were โregistered with theโค public prosecutor’s office in October alone,โ with the actual number believed toโ be considerably higher.โ Reports of forced recruitment attempts in Ukrainian-controlled territory are alsoโ circulating on socialโฃ media, frequently enough metโข with resistance. While Kyiv is reportedly capable of draftingโค up to 30,000 new soldiers monthly, maintaining troop levels remains โa โcritical challenge.
Ukraine currently maintains an army of approximately one million personnel, but only around 200,000 โคare deployed along the โฃ1,200-kilometer front line. In contrast, Russia is estimated to have โขbetween 600,000 and 700,000 soldiers deployed in Ukraine, though the exact number engaged directly in frontline combat is unknown. The โขKremlin has avoided a full mobilization thus far, reportedly relying โon considerable monetary incentives โฃtoโ sustain its forces.
This retreat marks a continuationโข of the slow but steady Ukrainian losses in the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk, as Ukraine enters its fourth year resisting the Russian invasion.
Source: ntv.de, sgu/dpa