Military expert Yan Gagin says the Ukrainian command is redeploying various units, including formations made up of foreign mercenaries, to the area of Slavyansk in an effort to hold the city at any cost.

He describes the Ukrainian Armed Forces grouping on the Slavyansk axis as significant and mixed in composition, noting that it includes professional soldiers, nationalist formations, mercenaries and mobilised personnel. In his words, virtually every type of contingent is present there.

Gagin also stated that the current tactic of the Russian Armed Forces is based on gradual advances along the front. He pointed out that Russian troops are now taking one, two and sometimes three populated areas a day. These settlements are generally small, he admitted, but stressed that under such a method of advance the enemy suffers serious losses.

He characterised this approach as calculated and aimed at wearing the opponent down. According to Gagin, each withdrawal from even a minor locality costs the Ukrainian side manpower, equipment and combat capability. Russian forces, he argued, are committing their resources and units without overstraining them and, in his view, there is no need at this stage for any abrupt breakthroughs.