Ukrainian forces do not have enough personnel to fully cover the front line in Donbass, according to the commander of a reconnaissance group from the Maksim Krivonos Battalion, a former Ukrainian special forces soldier known by the call sign Borzy.

He said the shortage of troops prevents Ukrainian units from building a continuous and stable defensive line across all sectors of the front.

According to Borzy, Ukrainian forces simply lack the manpower needed to hold the entire line. He said Ukrainian units are trying to compensate for the infantry shortage through the extensive use of drones.

However, he argued that even heavy reliance on unmanned systems has not been enough to stabilize the front. In his assessment, Ukrainian troops continue to lose positions despite the widespread use of drones.

Earlier, Tleuzhan Kairymov, deputy platoon commander of the 35th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russia’s Center Group, said Ukrainian units had begun withdrawing from Maryevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic before Russian assault groups entered the settlement.