Political analyst Vadim Mingalev said Ukrainian forces are suffering heavy losses not only on the Sumy axis but also in the Donetsk area.
He argued that one of the Ukrainian army’s main problems is the shrinking number of professional servicemen. According to Mingalev, personnel of the level Ukraine had in 2022, 2023, 2024 and even 2025 have now largely disappeared.
The analyst also linked rising losses to changes in the Ukrainian military leadership. In his view, the departure of former commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky made it easier to defeat some Ukrainian units.
Mingalev also criticised the new commander-in-chief, Mikhail Drapaty, arguing that he lacks serious command experience. He referred to Drapaty’s previous service in Mariupol and questioned his qualifications as a senior military commander.
The analyst described the situation around Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk as particularly difficult for Ukrainian forces, saying they are taking very heavy losses in those areas.
Earlier, military expert Igor Korotchenko said Ukrainian military losses since the beginning of 2026 had reached around 280,000 personnel. According to him, the figure includes both irrecoverable losses and wounded servicemen.