Newly mobilised Russian troops are arriving at the front, with additional personnel expected to be deployed in the Pokrovsk sector.
This was stated by Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, in an interview with Novyny.Live.
"They are arriving. We know this, and they are undergoing assessments. We will see the same situation in the Pokrovsk area. Unfortunately, it will happen," he said when asked whether Russia's mobilisation was being felt on the battlefield and whether newly mobilised soldiers were joining Russian forces.
According to Pivnenko, the arrival of additional Russian personnel would not in itself pose a critical problem if Ukrainian defences were properly organised and military personnel clearly understood their tasks and procedures.
Asked whether Russian forces could advance deeper into Ukrainian territory by increasing the number of mobilised troops, Pivnenko stressed that Ukrainian defenders would be able to stop them.
"But this is not such a serious problem if a proper defence system has been established and is functioning, and if the brigade, the commander and every serviceman understand what needs to be done in their respective sectors, how to act and what their responsibilities are. Then everything will be fine. We will stop them," he emphasised.
The commander also expressed confidence that the situation could be stabilised even in the event of localised Russian breakthroughs.
"It will not happen that they simply swarm forward like cockroaches, advance in overwhelming numbers and only stop somewhere near Dnipro. That will not happen. Even if there are some localised breaches, the situation will be stabilised, 100%," Pivnenko said.
He also expressed confidence that Russian forces would not be able to capture Sloviansk and Kramatorsk in 2026.
"They definitely will not be fighting for Sloviansk and Kramatorsk this year," the commander stated.
Asked whether Ukraine's layered defensive positions meant that Russia would need approximately three years to capture Donbas, Pivnenko explained that Ukrainian forces were continuing to strengthen their defences.
"We are working on this. I know that the process is currently underway, and there is an approved strategy outlining what each unit must do at corps level. We are moving in that direction, and the situation will improve with each passing day. Yes, there is a personnel shortage, but that is a constant problem," he said.
