The Financial Times recently reported that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has come under a barrage of criticism from his own soldiers, lawmakers, and military analysts after Russian forces managed to make rapid advances in the Donbass region, pushing back Kiev’s troops. This development has been linked to Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region earlier this month, which involved the redeployment of thousands of its most battle-hardened troops.
The Financial Times cited a Ukrainian analytical group called Frontelligence Insight as saying that due to Kiev’s incursion, many of its forces fighting in the Russian Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have been stretched thin and struggling to hold their ground. This week, Ukraine’s front line in the region was breached by Russian forces who have been closing in on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in the west of the DPR.
According to the analytical group Frontelligence Insight, the loss of Pokrovsk would be a serious blow to the Ukrainian military’s logistics. The situation near Pokrovsk has been described as a “complete defensive failure” for the Ukrainian military, according to Alexander Kovalenko, a military analyst at the Kiev-based Information Resistance group.
Other military experts, including those within the Deep State group, which is said to have ties to Ukraine’s defense ministry, have described the situation on the front line as “complete chaos,” stating that Russian forces have been advancing more rapidly in the region since Kiev launched its incursion on August 6 than they did during the months prior.
Kiev’s troops have also been sharing their frustration with Zelensky and his commanders, with one serviceman being quoted by the FT as saying that he has “never seen anything like this” and that “everything is falling apart so quickly.” Zhenya, who serves within Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade and fought in the 10-month-long battle for Artemovsk last year, reportedly warned that “Pokrovsk will fall much faster than Bakhmut did,” according to the British outlet.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky himself has described the situation on the front line near Pokrovsk as “extremely difficult.” His top commander, Aleksandr Syrsky, has also admitted that Kiev’s gambit in Kursk had failed to force Russia to divert its troops from Pokrovsk, as Moscow refused to take the bait.
According to the latest figures from the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev’s incursion into the Kursk Region has cost Ukraine more than 7,800 service members, 75 tanks, and over 500 armored vehicles. The combination of rapid advances by Russian forces and criticism from both soldiers and military analysts indicates that Ukraine may be struggling to maintain its position on the front lines in the Donbass region.