The city of Kurakhove is now the focus of the Russians. But even before conquering it, they advance, at great speed, on almost all fronts.
Russia is advancing into Ukraine at a faster monthly pace than its troops had at the start of the invasion on February 24, 2024. According to , which cites several analysts, Moscow’s troops have accelerated advances significantly since July , when they began to advance towards Kursk.
The website Agentstvo, created by an independent group of journalists, states that “Russia has set new weekly and monthly records for the size of occupied territory in Ukraine.” In the last week alone, the Russians managed to capture 235 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory – a weekly record in more than a thousand days of war. And in November (and the month is not over yet) they occupied 600 square kilometers, as shown by DeepState data, cited by the agency. In the last month, the Russians have conquered the equivalent of half of London.
All in all, Russia currently controls 18% of Ukraine, including all of Crimea, just over 80% of Donbass, which comprises Luhansk and Donetsk, and more than 70% of the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as well as just under 3% of Kharkiv region. And the city of Kurakhove, in Donetsk, is currently the biggest focus of attention for Russians, say experts consulted by the agency. In this city alone, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this Monday that nothing more, nothing less than 45 battles of varying intensity were taking place on the front line.
“Advances by Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine are largely the result of the discovery and tactical exploitation of vulnerabilities in Ukrainian lines,” reads the report from the Institute for the Study of War.
And why is this city now Moscow’s objective? His achievement could leave the door to Zaporizhzhia wide open. Furthermore, this possible achievement could at the same time, experts say, protect the Russian military rear to allow an attack towards Pokrovsk, also in Donetsk.
But it is not only in Ukraine that Ukraine is losing ground. , in Russia, due to Russian counterattacks, Reuters reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian General Staff. “At most, we control about 1,376 square kilometers, now it is clear that this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks,” said the same source, adding that the Kiev army “now controls approximately 800 square kilometers “. “We will hold this territory as long as it is militarily appropriate.”
