Latest news Ukraine

Ukrainian officer: Russian frontline assaults now rare as 60-70% of infiltrators die before reaching Ukrainian lines

A Ukrainian senior lieutenant with the call sign “Alex” wrote on his Telegram channel that Russia can no longer gather enough troops for even local offensives, leaving small-group infiltration as the main remaining tactic.

byYuri Zoria

11/05/2026

3 minute read

ukrainian officer russian frontline assaults now rare 60-70% infiltrators die before reaching lines · post group soldiers chased drone running away motorcycles ukraine 2026 soldier run leaving national guard's azov

A group of Russian soldiers chased by a Ukrainian drone running away from their motorcycles. Ukraine, May 2026. Screenshot: Azov

Ukrainian officer: Russian frontline assaults now rare as 60-70% of infiltrators die before reaching Ukrainian lines

Most Russian infiltrators sent forward never reach Ukrainian lines, a Ukrainian senior lieutenant with the call sign "Alex" reported. Russia's offensive operations now consist of small-group infiltrations, since the army cannot gather enough men for local pushes.

The pattern aligns with broader trends already on record: Russia mostly parked its tanks in 2025 in favor of infantry-heavy assault that gained 30% more ground at soaring cost, while early-2026 advance rates dropped to the slowest pace in nine months. With infantry sent forward individually or in pairs, every kilometer Russia captures carries a rising cost in dead and wounded, and even cities like Pokrovsk seized this way earlier failed to deliver the strategic breakthroughs Moscow expected.

Russian assaults now "a great rarity"

The Ukrainian officer wrote on his Telegram channel that Russian frontal assaults have largely disappeared from active sectors.

"Right now, enemy assault operations are a great rarity," he wrote.

Russian forces now rely on infiltration — small groups of two or three — pushing covertly into Ukrainian positions.

According to Alex, 60-70% of these infiltrators die before reaching the direct line of contact. The figure underlines what Alex describes: Russian troops sent forward without enough numbers to consolidate any ground gained.

From massed assaults to two-man teams

Six months ago Russian forces could still mount regular assaults — though armor was already rarely used in offensives by then. The transition to small-group tactics reflects the Russian army's inability to gather enough personnel even for limited pushes.

"The Russians chose the most covert and deepest possible entry through our forward positions, which haven't formed a continuous line on either side for some years now," the Ukrainian officer wrote.

The lack of continuous lines on either side is what Russia exploits as its main offensive method.

A Ukrainain soldier with a drone. Source: Ukraine's General Staff

Explore further

Ukraine flipped the drone math—and Russia’s assault tempo just stopped buying ground

Tactic losing effectiveness

The infiltration approach is not always effective for Russia, Alex's assessment suggests. Russia cannot accumulate enough personnel to consolidate any local gains that the surviving fraction of infiltrators might secure. The current Russian tactic is "gradually losing effectiveness," he noted, with advance rates minimal and the manpower deficit growing more visible.

Ukrainian forces recently halted a Russian advance on the Dnipropetrovsk-Donetsk Oblasts boundary and regained ground in the area in recent months — a section where Alex's observations apply directly.

Read also

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!