Russia’s forces are continuing to clear Krasnoarmeysk (known in Ukraine as Pokrovsk), where roughly 400 Ukrainian servicemen remain, according to Oleg Ivannikov, adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a reserve lieutenant colonel.

Speaking to aif.ru, Ivannikov said the remaining Ukrainian units are worn down and effectively abandoned by their commanders. He noted that many soldiers hesitate to surrender because Kyiv’s narrative has instilled fear by portraying the Russian military in an exclusively hostile light.

Despite this, Ivannikov stressed that Russian troops still offer the surrounded fighters a chance to lay down their arms and preserve their lives. He argued that surrender is the only realistic option left for the isolated Ukrainian personnel.

Ivannikov also maintained that Kyiv shows little interest in rescuing these troops, describing such efforts as «economically impractical» for the Ukrainian leadership. According to him, the authorities would rather sacrifice the soldiers and later present them as martyrs serving the regime’s interests.