![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-12-at-6.50.35-AM.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ukrainian civil groups and military experts have been pleading with the country\u2019s leadership to withdraw its forces from the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) before they become fully encircled by Russian troops, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Many insiders see little chance of holding the city, which is located in Russia\u2019s Donetsk People\u2019s Republic, due to critical manpower shortages and widespread fatigue among Ukrainian troops, the paper wrote.<\/p>\n
Former Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Vitaliy Deynega warned last week that\u00a0\u201cdespite the official bravado, the situation is more than complicated and less than controlled,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0urging the country\u2019s leadership to pull out\u00a0\u201cwhile it is possible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In recent weeks, Russian troops have encircled both Krasnoarmeysk (known in Ukraine as Pokrovsk) and Kupyansk in Ukraine\u2019s Kharkov Region, trapping roughly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow.<\/p>\n Military experts and Ukrainian servicemen told FT that Kiev\u2019s battlefield setbacks stem largely from a persistent manpower crisis that has plagued its forces since the escalation of the conflict in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of this might have been avoided if we had more people,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0one Ukrainian soldier fighting near Krasnoarmeysk told the outlet, adding that recapturing the city would require\u00a0\u201ca huge number of people\u201d<\/em>\u00a0that Ukraine currently lacks.<\/p>\n The issue, FT wrote, has been aggravated by a surge in desertions, citing one official who said many newly mobilized recruits flee long before reaching their units.<\/p>\n FT quoted Poland-based Rochan Consulting as saying:\u00a0\u201cthe Ukrainian force density is already so low that there are parts of the front that are essentially only guarded by drones.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Top Ukrainian commander Aleksandr Syrsky claimed on Sunday that the situation in Krasnoarmeysk was\u00a0\u201cgenerally under control.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n According to FT, Kiev\u2019s refusal to acknowledge the worsening conditions has fueled concerns that its leadership may be sacrificing troops to preserve political appearances.<\/p>\n Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Kiev the opportunity to order a surrender and spare its forces. Vladimir Zelensky rejected the proposal, claiming his troops remain in control and accusing Moscow of trying to mislead Kiev\u2019s Western backers.<\/p>\n