Kurakhove urban hromada

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed a peace plan proposal reportedly being crafted by the team of US President-elect Donald Trump. This plan purportedly included delaying Ukraine's NATO membership by at least a decade as a potential condition for ending the conflict in Ukraine.

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.

On the night of 16-17 December, the DeepState project reported that Russian forces had seized the village of Hannivka in Donetsk Oblast. Additionally, they advanced near several settlements including Dalnie, Uspenivka, Pishchane, Storozheve, Trudove, Kurakhove, Shevchenko, and Kostiantynopolske. Russian forces also made progress near Kruglenkoe in the Kursk Oblast of Russia.

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 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.

In the crucible of conflict, Ukraine finds itself grappling not only with the relentless onslaught of Russian invaders but also with a critical shortage of ammunition, a vital lifeline for its embattled forces.