Ukrainian military spokesman Stanislav Bunyatov, known by his call sign Osman, spoke with NV about the latest developments on the Donetsk front, the strategic importance of Crimea, and how Ukrainian forces are adapting their tactics. In the conversation, he discussed Russia’s mounting losses, the role of drones like Bayraktars in ongoing operations, and why Moscow continues to sacrifice troops despite failing to achieve its objectives.

— Strikes continue against Russian air defense and radar systems in occupied Crimea. Is this meant as deterrence, or preparation for a larger operation? How do you see it?

— It’s neither one nor the other, Pavlo. You need to understand that Crimea is the key to victory for us. It is the key to ending the war. Only once the issue of Crimea is resolved can the conflict move from a military phase to a political one. That is why the southern direction remains our top priority. The work is exhausting, prolonged, and difficult, but absolutely necessary. We are using every possible resource to prevent the enemy from strengthening its positions in the south.

As I’ve said before, our daily strikes in this direction have seriously weakened the enemy.

From the first days of the occupation in 2014, Russia built up military infrastructure on the peninsula designed for the immediate seizure of Ukraine. The key word is immediate. They stockpiled reserves and supplies to allow them, in their view, to capture the entire south of Ukraine, all the way to Izmail. It didn’t happen that way. Instead, the war became prolonged.

Now, battles require enormous resources. Constant Ukrainian strikes on logistics hubs and military infrastructure in occupied Crimea and the south are steadily depleting Russia’s combat potential, leaving them unable to replenish. Their stockpiles were never meant to sustain such long campaigns.

When we destroy logistics facilities, the enemy simply cannot restore them fast enough. The same applies to air defense. I’ve insisted, and will continue to insist, that no offensive operation is possible without air superiority. We learned this the hard way in 2023. That is why we are systematically dismantling Russia’s air defense umbrella.

We will continue to strike every air defense installation, as well as command-and-control centers like GLONASS facilities. That’s why we target Feodosiya, Yevpatoria, Sevastopol, Simferopol, and other sites, along with key transport hubs such as Dzhankoy, Simferopol, and Yevpatoria. These operations prevent Russia from maneuvering and supplying its forces on the front line.

The Crimean isthmuses are also under our attention. Work is being done there as well.

So, while Crimea may not dominate the headlines right now, it was, is, and will remain the decisive element of this war.

— On the southern front, reports show Ukraine is once again using Bayraktar drones, which were crucial early in the full-scale invasion but later less visible. Why are we seeing their return now?

— Simply put, we use every available tool. Nothing that has proven effective is ever “thrown on the scrap heap of history.” As soon as conditions allow, we bring back reliable systems like the Bayraktar. Three and a half years may make it an older system, but it’s still dependable — and we deploy it whenever possible.

This resurgence of Bayraktar operations is itself proof of the effectiveness of our broader campaign in Crimea and the south. Their return is a very good sign. They’re striking targets again.

Of course, we don’t have as many as we’d like. Ideally, dozens or hundreds of Bayraktars would constantly be in the air over enemy positions. But we work with what we have, and we use them to maximum effect.

— Let’s turn to the ground war. Recently, Russian soldiers in civilian clothes tried to enter Kupiansk just to raise a flag and take a photo. They were immediately struck and killed. What is the point of these “in-credit” seizures of territory with unarmed men in disguise? Is this purely about psychological warfare?

— What else do they have left? The so-called spring–summer offensive has already ended, and the Russians failed to achieve a single operational objective. Not one. So now, in classic hybrid warfare style — pioneered by General Gerasimov himself — they try to create an illusion of success. Sending men into Kupiansk to raise a flag is about manufacturing a parallel reality.

It’s important to understand that the front line today is not static. Enemy units can infiltrate Kupiansk, just as Ukrainian special forces have operated inside Russia’s Bryansk region. The same happens with Russian sabotage groups in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region. This is the nature of the war.

But these staged flag-raisings expose Russia’s total disregard for human life. They send what we call flag-bearers: men whose sole mission is to raise a flag, take a photo, and die. Their deaths serve no military purpose, only to produce a brief image for Russian television — which remains the primary source of news for most people in what is still officially called the Russian Federation.

— Reports suggest Russian troops tried to infiltrate Pokrovsk through sewage tunnels. Military analyst Kostiantyn Mashovets of the Information Resistance group noted this morning that Russia already lost at least three brigades in the Dobropillia area, mainly in personnel, and is now rushing reinforcements to avoid total collapse there. He wrote that if this salient is destroyed, the command of the 51st Combined Arms Army will be held responsible. Why would Russia waste three brigades like that? How do you see the situation developing there?

— In reality, that command will not be held accountable. This fits perfectly into the way Russia wages war. For the Kremlin, the number of soldiers lost or resources destroyed does not matter, as long as the objective is pursued.

Let me repeat a phrase everyone should keep in mind. For Russians, it goes something like this: the more losses, the greater the glory of victory. It is a barbaric sentiment, but it perfectly describes their logic.

As for what continues to unfold, we must understand that although Russia has not achieved a single operational objective in the Donetsk sector, that does not mean they will stop fighting. They will keep pressing forward as long as they have resources—above all, manpower. Our reports clearly show how sparingly they now use equipment, conserving it to achieve certain goals, but showing no concern at all for their soldiers’ lives.

The enemy will continue to attack our positions, forcing us to maintain enormous effort. Our troops have already achieved more than anyone thought possible, sometimes holding lines where the ratio of manpower was one to seven—and it still is in some areas. That kind of pressure demands even greater mobilization and reinforcement across all sectors of these desperate battles.

For Russia, this war has a very simple meaning: as long as it continues, Putin’s regime survives. That is why they will do everything to prolong it. This is also why, behind General Gerasimov’s desk, you now see maps with Odesa and Mykolaiv regions marked in Russian colors. That’s the reality: there are no peace talks, and there will be none. The fighting will go on.

We must accept this, understand it, and ensure our strikes are even more effective. The Pokrovsk sector, I can confirm, was, is, and will remain one of the hottest and most important fronts of the 2025 campaign.

https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/ukrainian-commander-on-russian-losses-and-strategy-in-pokrovsk-sector-50542597.html