Russia building massive manpower reserves along entire front — Ukrainian captain

This was reported on Espreso TV by Volodymyr Nazarenko, head of artillery intelligence of the 4th Rubizh Brigade and captain in the National Guard of Ukraine.

"We are carrying out missions in the Northern direction, both to the north and south. The enemy is working intensively to adapt and refine their tactics. This is one of the hottest sectors, where the talent and skills of my comrades and our brigade are crucial. Most importantly, it’s a coordinated effort to thwart the enemy’s infiltration attempts. We employ a wide range of tactics, and we use UAVs extensively against the enemy — particularly effectively against small assault groups," he said.

According to Volodymyr Nazarenko, the use of UAVs helps conserve artillery ammunition.

“We reserve artillery for striking enemy equipment concentrations. Intelligence indicates that the enemy is constantly amassing large reserves throughout the rear, including in certain areas of the northern Donetsk region. They require manpower to rapidly replenish the losses they suffer each day,” the National Guard officer added.

Nazarenko noted that Russia can still afford to carry out harassing artillery fire—targeting rear areas and civilian settlements.

“Currently, they are actively deploying Molniya drones, which are launched indiscriminately. This is part of a tactic aimed at terrorizing the near rear. The Russians are trying to leverage their superiority in weapons, ammunition, and manpower to push forward. For every square kilometer of territory they occupy, they lose 185 soldiers irretrievably. That is an extremely high personnel cost, and I hope that sooner or later, the enemy will be exhausted,” the military officer concluded.