Eastern Ukraine campaign

Over the past day, Ukrainian forces have repelled more than 100 Russian attacks, with intense combat reported across several fronts. The Russian military has attempted to break through Ukrainian defenses, especially on the Pokrovsk and Toretsk fronts, where Ukrainian forces successfully repelled a total of 104 attacks.

Russia has reinforced its stance against freezing the current frontline in Ukraine or reaching a compromise, insisting on Ukraine's complete surrender. Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, stated that while Moscow is allegedly open to negotiations, it will not entertain a freeze of hostilities or the establishment of demilitarized zones.

Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predict that Russian forces are likely to focus on capturing Ukrainian cities during the winter of 2024-2025, shifting their strategy toward urban combat. This shift is seen as a response to the Ukrainian advantage in drones and the limitations of Russia's armored vehicles.

Ukrainian Armed Forces faced nearly 170 Russian attacks in a single day, with the most significant pressure reported on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a total of 169 combat clashes occurred, highlighting the ongoing intensity of the conflict.

Russia announced on Tuesday that it had successfully captured the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove, along with the town of Hirnyk, as open-source data indicated that Moscow's forces are advancing at their fastest pace in over a year. This advancement occurs amidst reports of North Korean troops being sent to Russia, raising concerns that the ongoing conflict is drawing in new players.

On Thursday, Russia claimed that its forces had seized control of another settlement in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, an area where Moscow has reported gains over recent months, including the capture of the key city of Vuhledar.

Late on October 7th, Russian forces entered the eastern outskirts of the Ukrainian frontline town of Toretsk, less than a week after seizing control of Vuhledar, according to reports by Reuters and The Kyiv Independent, citing Ukraine's military.

Russia announced on Friday that its forces had captured the village of Marynivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, an area where they have been advancing toward the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

On Thursday, September 12, Ukrainian sappers succeeded in breaching Russian defenses near the village of Novi Put, located approximately 30 kilometers west of a recent advance in the Kursk region. Initially perceived as a minor attack, the operation rapidly escalated into a significant threat for Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian counterattacks in the Kursk region, which was partially reclaimed by Ukrainian forces following their major incursion last month, have not yet achieved significant success.