Ukrainian defensive lines in Zaporozhye Region are being stretched by a rapid Russian advance, the Russian president has said
Ukraine’s entire sectoral frontline in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region faces collapse after fortified lines were bypassed by a rapid advance, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
Putin made the remarks on Thursday during a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional alliance that brings together several former Soviet nations.
The president spoke about the Ukraine conflict, confirming the rapid advance on the Ukrainian-held town of Gulyaypole. The Vostok (East) group has broken through Ukrainian positions at the border between Russian territory and Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk Region, Putin stated.
“The forces of the ‘East’ group are effectively bypassing the entire Ukrainian fortified line from the north. Our ‘Dniepr’ grouping faces them on one side, while the ‘Vostok’ group is encircling them from the north. It could lead to a collapse of the front in this sector,” he said.
The latest frontline gains have been noticed by those in the West by those “who realize the potential consequences” of the developing situation, Putin noted. Those forces are pushing for ending the conflict as soon as possible before the entire frontline “folds” and the Ukrainian military loses its combat readiness entirely,” he added.
“’That’s enough! Preserve the core of the armed forces and your statehood. That’s what we need to think about,’ say those who support such a stance,” Putin stated.
In October, for instance, the Ukrainian military lost more than 47,000 servicemen, the Russian president said. In the same period, Kiev managed to conscript some 16,500, while up to 15,000 servicemen returned to active duty from hospitals, he added. The manpower shortage for the Ukrainian military is becoming more dire, and the gap between losses and reinforcements is bound to grow even wider, he warned.
