Pokrovsk, Ukraine

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.

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.

Walking through the deserted streets of Pokrovsk as Russian troops inch closer and closer every day, Galyna said she was not worried about the prospect of occupation.

She was making her way home as artillery echoed in the distance, before the beginning of the 3 p.m. to 11 a.m. curfew that authorities in the eastern Ukrainian city imposed due to increasing shelling.

Russian forces are on the verge of capturing a significant city in eastern Ukraine, Pokrovsk, marking one of their fastest military advances since the beginning of the conflict. If successful, this capture will grant Russia a strategic advantage over the Donbas region.

Russia on Sunday said its forces had advanced in eastern Ukraine as Kiev reported deadly air attacks and urged the West to allow it to carry out more retaliatory strikes inside Russia.

Russian attack drones flying towards Ukraine also breached the airspace of NATO members Romania and Latvia, the countries said Sunday, triggering calls for a robust response from the military alliance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Sept. 6 with top United States military leaders and more than 50 partner nations in Germany to press for more weapons support as Washington announced it would provide another $250 million in security assistance to Kiev.

The war in Ukraine is at a critical point, as the country’s military leadership, led by General Oleksandr Syrskyi, is implementing a bold plan to reverse the course of the conflict.

Ukrainian forces have reportedly secured new positions in Russia's Kursk region, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky. This marks a significant expansion of Ukrainian-controlled territory along the border. While the president did not provide specific details, he confirmed that more Russian prisoners of war had been captured, potentially to be used in future exchanges.

Russian and Ukrainian forces engaged in another night of reciprocal shelling. Ukrainian drones reportedly ignited several oil tanks in Russia's Rostov region, although it remains unclear if the "Glubokinskaya" oil depot was among the targets.

Russian forces have launched 53 attacks on Ukrainian positions along the Pokrovsk front in the Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian military. The city remains a primary target of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.