MELITOPOL, December 20. /TASS/. Around 70% of the Ukrainian military personnel being sent to Kurakhovo desert on the way, with only a third of the reinforcements actually reaching their positions in the western part of the city, Vladimir Rogov, the chairman of the commission on sovereignty, patriotic projects, and support for veterans of Russia’s Civic Chamber, told TASS.

"Forcibly mobilized men are being dispatched to Kurakhovo, but no more than 30% manage to arrive at the positions. Desertion is widespread," Rogov said.

The situation is similar at several other sections of the frontline in the DPR.

"They are handcuffed and escorted by force, but two-thirds manage to flee on their way to the frontline. The Kiev regime doesn't know how to handle them, because many escape with their weapons. For now, they are not prosecuted. They can rejoin their unit. Kurakhovo is the most telling example, but overall, their defenses are collapsing everywhere," Rogov said.

"The countdown for the Ukrainian group in Kurakhovo has begun. It is impossible for them to maintain their position there. There are no favorable conditions for that," he added.

Rogov told TASS on December 19 that Ukrainian units in Kurakhovo had been ordered to hold positions in the western part of the city until the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. The Ukrainian army has moved additional units, including the separate assault battalion Skala, to this area.