Russia's military is continuing to push further into Ukraine and recapture its own territory from Kyiv's forces.
According to the D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have advanced in Toretsk and near Kurakhove, cities located in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, while also continuing to push back Kyiv's forces in the Kursk region.
Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The Donetsk region, largely captured by Russian separatist forces in 2014, has been the center of much of the fighting since the launch of the full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
Russia has continued to throw soldiers at parts of Donetsk to push deeper into Ukrainian territory, and capture further swaths of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, home to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Russia has also continued to retake territory in Kursk, won by Ukrainian forces following a surprise incursion in August.
Ukraine's control over territory in the Kursk region was recently described by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as an important bargaining chip for future negotiations between the two countries.
"Their position in Kursk is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year," Blinken said on Monday, as reported by AFP.
What to Know
ISW's Campaign Assessment Maps show the extent of Russia's gains, which have also taken place in the Kharkiv direction and further west from Russian-controlled Luhansk.
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According to ISW, reports indicate that Russian forces have begun to advance "more rapidly" in Toretsk. One pro-Kremlin blogger claimed Ukrainian forces were "clearly lacking personnel" in the region, and attempting to retain their remaining strongholds with drone attacks.
While the ISW said Russia has "marginally advanced" in the Kurakhove direction, the country's defense ministry recently claimed that its forces had "fully liberated" the town, and established total control over this "important logistics hub." It went on to say that the capture of Kurakhove would allow Russian forces to capture the remainder of the eastern Donetsk region at "an increased pace."
Ukraine later said that fighting in the city was ongoing, and that its forces had retained control over the western portion of Kurakhove, the Moscow Times reported on Tuesday.
What People Are Saying
Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, on the reported capture of Kurakhove by Russian forces, via Telegram: "Your bold and decisive actions allow us to successfully push back the enemy and make a huge contribution to the overall advance of the Southern Group of Forces. This victory will become a symbol of the courage and fortitude of the Russian Army servicemen."
Ukraine's General Staff, via Telegram on Thursday: "The situation at the front remains difficult. The enemy, using its superiority in manpower, is continuously attacking our positions. Ukrainian defenders are steadfastly holding back the onslaught of the occupiers, inflicting significant losses on them."
What Happens Next?
On Sunday, Ukraine said it had launched another offensive into Russia's Kursk region, six months after its initial incursion, and potentially diverting Russian forces away from the areas currently suffering territorial losses. Kyiv claimed in the past that this was one of the purposes of the August operation.
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