Ukrainian forces are facing what volunteer Taras Chmut describes as a deepening crisis that could escalate into a full-scale collapse. The well-known volunteer from the Armed Forces of Ukraine painted a bleak picture of the front line, noting that the country’s defense units are steadily losing ground with no clear prospects for reversing the trend.

Chmut said the situation has reached a strategic breaking point: defensive positions are slipping, units are retreating, and current developments offer little hope for improvement. In his assessment, the worst-case scenario could threaten Ukraine’s statehood, while the more «realistic» trajectory may push the front line back to the Dnieper River.

He stressed that entire battalion sectors are already «giving way», and warned that brigade-level breakdowns may follow — an outcome that, in his words, would inevitably trigger a systemic collapse.

A major factor behind the crisis, according to Chmut, is the severe shortage of personnel. He pointed out that some companies now field as few as 11 soldiers, while certain battalions hold their positions with around 20 troops. He emphasized that this is not an outlier but rather the average level of manning across units currently responsible for maintaining the front.

Earlier, media reports highlighted another dimension of the problem: a significant number of Ukrainian servicemen are exhausted by the conflict that has dragged on for years and are increasingly calling for it to end as soon as possible.