Is there front collapse in Donbas: Military assessment

"I’m certainly not a general, but as I understand it, the front crumbles when there is a collapse of defense throughout 20-30 kilometers in depth and width, when troops are encircled, and when we see the enemy occupying footholds and advancing rapidly," Tymochko said.

He cited the collapse of Russian defenses during the Ukrainian Armed Forces' advance in the Kharkiv region as an example.

"And in the area where heavy fighting has been ongoing for two years, where everything is destroyed and there is the maximum concentration of enemy forces, we can talk about a complex situation, a serious threat to our defense, about the difficulties our military is facing, but to talk about a collapse..." he added.

He said that the decision for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to retreat from any section of the front is made by higher military command according to the situation.

"I have not seen entire columns of our captured soldiers surrendering, or dozens of units of equipment captured by the enemy, or stockpiles. If there is a retreat, it means some decision is being made. A decision at the level of the situation, which is known to the higher command and may be unknown to the mid-level command," Tymochko added.

Frontline situation

According to the General Staff, the situation along the line of combat engagement remains tense. Since the beginning of the day on October 30, there have been 51 engagements along the front, with the most occurring in the Kurakhiv direction.

The American Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian forces have advanced southeast of Kupiansk and west of Svatove, in the western and central parts of Selydove, east of Kurakhove, and southwest of Donetsk in the area of Vuhledar.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenders have regained positions in Toretsk.