Ukraine’s Chief of Staff: Putin Escalates Before Talks to Project Illusion of Strength
Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine warns that Russia is entering its most aggressive phase of the war yet – and says the coming months will test the country like never before.
The Gaze reports this, referring to his latest exclusive interview with Newsmax.
Hnatov began with a direct message to the United States, thanking the Americans and President Donald Trump for continued support. He emphasized that Russia’s so-called “three-day operation” has failed on every major objective since 2022.
Despite suffering “nearly a thousand casualties a day,” he said, Russian forces continue throwing manpower into devastated areas they have turned into “uninhabitable wastelands covered with their own dead.”
According to Ukrainian estimates, Russia has sustained almost 1.2 million killed and wounded since launching the full-scale invasion. By early next year, the number of Russians killed could reach 500,000 if current trends continue, Hnatov warned.
Addressing Moscow’s push to seize Pokrovsk, Hnatov dismissed Kremlin claims that the city is encircled. “The situation is extremely tense, but the Russian narrative about a completed encirclement is simply false,” he stressed.
Ukraine estimates 300–400 Russian fighters have infiltrated different parts of the city, but lack unified command. However, Russia’s assault groups outnumber Ukrainian units ten to one, complicating defense efforts.
When asked whether Pokrovsk could fall, Hnatov refused to offer predictions but stressed that Ukrainian forces continue to counterattack and inflict daily losses.
Drawing on his experience commanding the defense of Bakhmut, Hnatov explained that any withdrawal would only occur if Ukrainian units faced “total destruction or capture. Urban terrain, he noted, favors Ukrainian defenders and makes Russian assaults costlier. “If we retreat, we will still have to defend – but in worse conditions,” he said.
Hnatov said Russia’s intensified strikes on frontline positions and civilian infrastructure mirror a familiar pattern: “Before every major diplomatic moment, Putin escalates. Bombardments, crimes, attempts to show fabricated success – it’s all part of his playbook.” He suggested Moscow is ramping up pressure to appear strong amid speculation over potential peace talks.
At the top of Hnatov’s list: air defense. He called Patriot systems and ballistic-intercept missiles “critical to keeping the country functioning” – protecting factories, hospitals, energy sites, and civilian populations.
Ukraine’s Chief of Staff also appealed for ammunition of all calibers, long-range strike weapons, cluster munitions, short-range air defenses, and F-16 compatible missiles.
Despite intense fighting, Hnatov stressed that Ukraine is not just holding the line but actively adapting and counterstriking: nearly 77,000 Russian targets were hit by Ukrainian drones last month, domestic UAV production is accelerating, missile programs like Neptune and Fire Point are advancing, and Ukrainian forces continue daily strikes on Russian logistics and infrastructure.
“We will destroy the enemy in the sky, on land, and at sea,” he said. “Ukraine will not give up its freedom.”
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an online meeting with U.S. senators, during which they discussed the situation on the front lines, strengthening air defense, increasing pressure on Russia, and efforts to return Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia.
Read also on The Gaze: Five Factors Shaping Ukraine’s Harsh Winter on the Frontlines