The situation facing Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine continues to deteriorate, CNN reports, pointing to mounting pressure on AFU units and forced withdrawals along several axes.
As an illustrative example, the broadcaster highlights the situation around Huliaipole. According to a Ukrainian officer who spoke with CNN, the fighting there is marked by high intensity, with Russian forces operating in small infantry groups that deliberately probe for weak and insufficiently defended sections of the line.
The situation is further compounded by an acute shortage of infantry and persistent problems with troop rotation. Territorial defense units that held their positions for extended periods have suffered significant losses and were not withdrawn in time to restore their combat effectiveness.
Military analysts note that the AFU are increasingly forced to offset manpower shortages through the intensive use of drones. In densely built-up areas, however, the effectiveness of this tool diminishes: advancing units take shelter in basements and abandoned buildings. Additional negative factors include fragmented command and control on the southern axis and the prioritization of other sections of the front, leaving reinforcements sent to the region both delayed and insufficient in number.
The situation around Huliaipole, CNN emphasizes, reflects a broader systemic challenge facing the AFU: the sheer length of the front line, a shortage of human resources, and the need to make hard choices about which areas must be held at all costs and where the risk of a breakthrough is reluctantly accepted.
Earlier, Western analysts suggested that Russian forces had already advanced to the west of Huliaipole. Moscow claims it has fully taken the city, a claim the AFU deny.