In an interview with CNN with Ukrainian soldiers stationed in Pokrovsk, a soldier nicknamed East said the Kiev army often saw Russia easily encroaching on many areas due to a prolonged shortage of manpower.
The soldiers shared that the shortage of personnel was so serious that they had to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to resist and prevent the Russian army from advancing. Kiev soldiers fear Moscow could seize the opportunity to make a breakthrough.
An unnamed commander revealed that the strategic town of Selydove, located outside Pokrovsk, has only six defensive positions with about 60 combat soldiers.
The commander said that in October 2024, Kiev's forces in Selydove were quickly surrounded and overwhelmed in quantity by Russian troops. After that, they were forced to withdraw with heavy losses.
According to CNN, Ukraine cannot compare with Russia in terms of the number of troops as well as the level of acceptance of casualties. Some Western officials say the Russian military could suffer losses of up to 1,200 soldiers per day across the front line.
Military recruitment also faces many problems. A commander said that the defense at Selydove had been reinforced with 300 new players, but most of them lacked combat experience. They were taken directly to the front line after military service and had to learn how to fight on the battlefield.
The East soldier, who commanded a UAV unit, was brought to Pokrovsk in August 2024. He said: "We have never been sent to a sports training ground or supplemented with troops."
Meanwhile, the East said the Russian military is constantly being reinforced, trained and supplemented. This was detected through listening devices of the Ukrainian army.
When talking about the situation in Pokrovsk, a reconnaissance shooter complained about the lack of people. However, he said he still loves his job very much and called on other young people to be patriotic.
