According to the Financial Times, Ukraine could lose control of the city of Pokrovsk due to a lack of soldiers, and attempts to hold it at all costs will only deepen the reluctance of men to serve in the army. Prominent military and civilian experts are urging the Ukrainian leadership to consider withdrawing units from the city before the situation becomes critical.
In particular, former Deputy Defense Minister Vitaly Deynega described the situation in Pokrovsk as “complicated and uncontrolled.” According to military personnel and experts, the problem is caused not only by the high intensity of hostilities, but also by the lack of personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The front line stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers, and the forces are increasingly stretched.
Ukrainian military officer Artem Karyakin notes: "All this could have been avoided if we had more people and hundreds, if not thousands, of ballistic missiles. To liberate such a city requires a huge number of personnel, and currently there is none.".
The problem is exacerbated by rising desertion rates. Some conscripts are leaving the service before they even arrive at the front, which reduces the size of the ground forces. Konrad Muzyka, director of the Polish company Rochan Consulting, adds: “The density of Ukrainian forces is already so low that some areas of the front are actually guarded only by drones.”.
Experts warn that persistent attempts to hold Pokrovsk at all costs could lead to a chaotic and bloody retreat under fire, repeating the fate of previous Ukrainian strongholds captured by Russian forces. This would only deepen people’s reluctance to join the army and create new risks to the country’s defense capabilities.
