The Ukrainian forces defending the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region are facing a severe shortage of personnel and are concerned about a significant breakthrough by the Russian army. Due to the lack of sufficient infantry, soldiers are compelled to use drones to strike at advancing Russian units. This is reported by CNN, citing military sources.
"Numerous soldiers around Pokrovsk provided a stark assessment of the current Russian offensive and their own prospects in the area over the coming months," the publication states.
It is noted that this manpower deficit has been felt in Pokrovsk for several weeks, and Moscow's brutal tactics are showing consistent success.
"The situation is very critical... We lack infantry to fight and hold out for a while while the drones do their job. That’s why we often see situations where the enemy uncontrollably penetrates vulnerable areas," said the commander of the drone unit of the 15th National Guard of Ukraine, known by the call sign "Vostok," who operates in the Pokrovsk area.
A sniper-reconnaissance soldier from the 15th National Guard regiment with the call sign "Kashchey" stated that the Russian army is preparing for an assault.
"I can't say exactly how much time we have, if we have any at all... Right now, they are bringing their troops to the front line as much as possible. And then at some point, they will all go for the assault. They can get very far. In one day," he noted.
Another sniper-reconnaissance soldier with the call sign "Kotya" admitted that he is "damn tired":
"I love my job, but we need other young people to love this job too. Our country has woken up, but the people in it have not. Young men are dying here. It’s a nightmare."
As CNN reports, the prospect of peace negotiations beginning when Donald Trump comes to power in January offers little comfort to those there.
"Freezing this war is a double-edged sword... Will we give up the land for which my friends died, or will we continue to reclaim it and lose even more friends? If these two old men (Trump and Putin) start measuring their manhood, Ukraine will be at the center of it all. That will be unpleasant," said "Kotya."
The Offensive on Pokrovsk - Previous Reports
Recall that recently, the commander of a platoon from the 24th separate assault brigade "Aidar," Stanislav Bunyatov, stated that Russian occupiers have approached very close to the city of Pokrovsk - "about 5.5 kilometers remain to the city":
"Assault actions are ongoing in the direction of almost all populated areas, both to the south of Pokrovsk and to the southwest."
According to military analyst Denis Popovich, after capturing Kurakhovo, the Russians will begin to redeploy reinforcements and will likely initiate an offensive on Pokrovsk.