Pokrovsk Raion

Ukrainian forces are facing a precarious situation in Kursk Oblast, where they risk losing much of the territory gained during the swift offensive in August. Exhaustion among the troops and an intense Russian counteroffensive have resulted in significant setbacks.

Ukrainian special forces captured a North Korean soldier, a member of one of the units deployed to support the Russian armed forces, South Korea’s intelligence agency announced today.

Fighting persists in the urban area of Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, as Russian forces concentrate their efforts on breakthrough attacks along several fronts. Over the past day, the Ukrainian military has reported 234 combat clashes. The focus of Russian assaults has been on the Lyman, Pokrovsk, and Vremivka regions, with Ukrainian troops successfully repelling numerous attacks.

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.

Russian forces have executed 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war near the villages of Mykolaivka and Sukhyi Yar in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast. This incident marks the largest known execution of Ukrainian POWs during the ongoing conflict.