4-7 infantrymen per kilometer of the front: the Armed Forces lose Pokrovsk due to a lack of people, — FT

To liberate a city of this size, it would probably take a huge number of people, and I just don't think we have them right now," stressed Artem Karyakin, a Ukrainian military officer who is fighting in the area, in a comment for the Financial Times. The publication emphasized that the inability to prevent "creeping Russian infiltration" in Pokrovsk highlighted the imbalance in manpower.

Russia has a larger population, from which it can draw resources despite the loss and replenish its army with volunteers, attracting citizens with financial incentives. Ukrainian volunteer Maria Berlinska said that in October, on average, only 4-7 infantrymen were defending one kilometer of the front line. At the same time, according to the prosecutor's office, almost 20,000 cases of illegal immigration or desertion were initiated this month. This is the highest monthly indicator for 2025.

An unnamed military official said that a significant number of new recruits are deserting before they even get into units. "As a result, the Ground Forces are not expanding, but on the contrary, they are shrinking. The density of Ukrainian troops is already so low that some areas of the front are actually guarded only by drones," said Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka.

It is reported that for several months, small groups of Russian attack aircraft that tried to advance through the open fields around Pokrovsk were destroyed with the help of UAVs. In July, Russian infantrymen began attempts to infiltrate the city, but were repulsed thanks to the so-called "firemen" — Ukrainian units that shoot at the hottest spots.

The situation changed in August, when the "firemen" were transferred to a distance of 20 kilometers to the north to stop an unexpected breakthrough of the Russian Armed Forces. This threatened the encirclement of a number of cities important for the defense of Donetsk region. "And Pokrovsk did not have the advantage of such anti-infiltration teams," military analyst Rob Lee emphasized.

The attack on Pokrovsk allowed the enemy to deploy elite drone units that attacked transport entering and leaving the city. This exhausted the "few Ukrainian forces" that remained in the city. At the end of October, special units of the Ground Forces, SBU, and GUR were sent there. However, according to an unnamed officer who is fighting in the area, it was probably already too late to significantly change the situation.

The publication reported that Ukraine does not want to call up more men due to a lack of people, but instead is trying to increase the number of volunteers and bet on elite UAV units. This year, a one-year 18-24 contract was introduced, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced new short-term military contracts for a period of 1-5 years. "I am afraid that if the right measures are not taken, the battle for Pokrovsk may affect the perception of the Armed Forces.

If people see that we are going through Bakhmut, Avdiivka or Vugledar again, they will not have the motivation to join the ranks of the Armed Forces, fearing to find themselves in the same situation," added Muzyka. It will be recalled that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that the Pokrovsky direction is currently a priority in the Russian Federation.