---
title: "\"Very significantly slowed down\": Air Assault Forces assess the pace of Russian advance at the front"
description: "Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the AFU Oleh Apostol stated that the Russian offensive has significantly slowed down due to heavy losses. According to him, capturing individual positions does not equal operational success."
date: 2026-11-13T08:22:13.791Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/air-assault-forces-assess-russian-advance-pace
tags: [ukraine-war, dshv, russian-army, frontline, military]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Very significantly slowed down": Air Assault Forces assess the pace of Russian advance at the front

![Ukrainian soldier in helmet and tactical vest watching a powerful artillery howitzer fire at night in a field](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/dshv-otsinili-tempi-prodvizheniya-voysk-rf/dshv-otsinili-tempi-prodvizheniya-voysk-rf-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Commander of the Air Assault Forces Oleh Apostol announced a significant slowdown in the pace of the Russian advance at the front.
- He cited heavy enemy losses as the reason for the slowdown, limiting the ability to maintain combat intensity.
- The capture of individual small positions, according to him, does not constitute an operational success.
- In the sector of the 82nd Bukovyna Brigade, enemy infiltration is absent; in the Huliaipole direction, assaults are carried out one by one under fire.

Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleh Apostol stated during a meeting with journalists that the pace of the Russian troops' advance at the front has significantly decreased compared to previous periods of the conflict, RBC-Ukraine reports. Answering a question about the gradual capture of Ukrainian territories, he emphasized that the current phase of combat operations should not be compared to periods of intense offensive.

### "It has very significantly slowed down"

"It has very significantly slowed down," Apostol noted, characterizing the pace of the Russian offensive. According to his assessment, one of the key reasons for this slowdown is the significant losses of the enemy, which affect the ability of Russian units to maintain their previous combat intensity. At the same time, the commander acknowledged that the Russian army continues to rely on its advantage in human resources to conduct offensive operations.

### Capturing positions does not equal operational success

The Commander of the Air Assault Forces also clarified that capturing individual small positions for a long time does not necessarily mean achieving operational success. "If he takes one tree line in a month, this is not some operational success upon which something can be built," Apostol explained. Thus, according to him, local advances do not translate into a sustainable operational result that could be used to develop an offensive.

### Situation in various sectors of the front

The situation in certain sectors of the front was also commented on by the commander of the 82nd Bukovyna Air Assault Brigade, Yehor Nozdryakov. According to him, there is no enemy infiltration in the sector for which his unit is responsible. Earlier it was reported that in the Huliaipole direction, Russian troops have multiplied the number of assault attempts and switched to advancing one by one through the dense fire of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

### Context: statements about AFU successes

Against the background of these statements, the Ukrainian side also notes its own successes: according to available data, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have advanced in the Sumy and Donetsk directions, and also disrupted a number of offensive operations by the Russian army. The combination of these factors, according to the Air Assault Forces command, forms a picture of a slowdown in the enemy's advance at the front.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- ["Сильно замедлились": в ДШВ оценили темпы продвижения армии РФ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/silno-spovilnilisya-dshv-otsinili-tempi-prosuvannya-1794556754.html) - Primary source: Statement by Air Assault Forces Commander O. Apostol during a meeting with journalists. The fact of the speech and quotes are confirmed; the assessment of the pace of advance is the command's viewpoint and is not independently verified.

## FAQ

### Who stated that the advance of Russian troops has slowed down?

The statement was made by the Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the AFU, Oleh Apostol, during a meeting with journalists, according to RBC-Ukraine.

### What reason for the slowdown did Apostol name?

He pointed to significant enemy losses affecting the ability of Russian units to maintain combat intensity, while acknowledging that Russia retains an advantage in human resources.

### What did the commander of the 82nd Bukovyna Air Assault Brigade say?

Yehor Nozdryakov noted that there is no enemy infiltration in his brigade's sector.