Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Russia claimed on Tuesday it took control of three more settlements in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region as it continues offensive in the area. A statement by the Defense Ministry said its forces captured the villages of Katerynivka and Bohoiavlenka, both of which are located about 13 and 15 kilometers (8 and 9.3 miles) south of the city of Kurakhove, which houses a thermal power station. The city is about 34 kilometers (21.1 miles) south of the city of Pokrovsk, a major front in Moscow’s ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine. The statement said its forces also took control of the city of Hirnyk, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk. Russia has frequently reported gains in recent months as it continues its offensive in Donetsk, with the area around Pokrovsk seeing heightened activity. The city serves as a key logistics hub for Ukraine’s army in the Donetsk region, which borders Russia. Ukraine’s General Staff said in an earlier statement its forces are holding back Russian troops around Katerynivka, and have repelled 12 attempts to break through defenses around two settlements near Vremivka, including Bohoiavlenka. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on Russia’s claims, and independent verification is difficult due to the ongoing war.​​​​​​​ Support non-profit journalism and perspectives from around the world. See all those languages? The Lingua project at Global Voices works to bring down barriers to understanding through translation. Sirens, shelling, tears, destruction — these are the realities of an average day in a frontline area in the East of Ukraine. Donetsk region, more than half of which is currently occupied by Russia, is shelled 1,500–2,500 times almost daily Much of this shelling targets residential buildings and critical infrastructure for many leaving their homes is not an option others are making a conscious decision to stay despite having opportunities to relocate to a safer area more often than not closer to their families Naturally, Viktor and Nadiia's families at first encouraged them to move out of the region. When the most recent invasion began, their granddaughter, who runs a humanitarian aid foundation in Dnipro suggested they temporarily move into the foundation's shelter for internally displaced persons with plans to then rent her grandparents a more permanent home in Dnipro as I know from life experience that it cannot lead to anything good when my great-grandfather died and my great-grandmother from my father’s side was left on her own my grandmother decided to move her closer to take care of her My grandmother always regretted taking away her mother’s independence so I would never do the same to my older family members now Nadiia and Viktor feel much more alone as they miss spending time with family and friends the way they used to their family would come to their house every weekend and they would spend the whole day together around the table in their garden I certainly understand why people are leaving And our son lives in Saint Petersburg with his wife For us things like going to the store are becoming increasingly difficult because we are getting older and older but not seeing our family the way we used to is more painful I understand why people would move to be closer to their families and we would not be able to live anywhere else “I would rather die because of a missile than of sadness in another city,” says Viktor with a light smile on his face a very odd feeling emerges — absolute serenity are evident in this small but well-maintained garden this garden is not only a reminder of their happy moments with their family and friends but also their projection of hope and intentions for the future When asked how their lives have changed after the full-scale invasion Viktor immediately replied that they have not he immediately mentioned that he is unable to access Ukrainian television anymore as it was blocked and replaced by Russian channels he said that he does not know how he manages to stay sane in these circumstances the area once obviously filled with families A lot of people have left the neighborhood ordinary tasks like going to the store to buy some produce are becoming more difficult “We used to ask some of our neighbors to go to the store for us but now there is no one we can ask any more our granddaughter often goes to the Donetsk region for work neither Viktor nor Nadiia mentioned unstable access to water they simply said that they have gotten used to not being so reliant on these modern conveniences so it is easier for us to store water for later usage or simply go outside and do some gardening when we have no electricity it would be much more difficult,” says Nadiia “I cannot give them [Russians] the satisfaction,” says Viktor leaving would mean giving up in the larger sense — giving up on their homeland and on their family roots It is true that some people who remain here are waiting for the Russians to come and take over but most of us just wish for a peaceful life in our own country both alone and with our children and grandchildren so if we leave it we would feel like we are giving our whole life up to Russians we have our pensions and a comfortable home with lots of happy memories and pray for those who are protecting us right now The Russian shelling strategy, which often targets civilian buildings and infrastructure, aims to completely demoralize the local population and force those who survive to leave everything behind and evacuate for independent and courageous people like Nadiia and Viktor and your homeland cannot be overridden with fear The Bridge features personal essays, commentary, and creative non-fiction that illuminate differences in perception between local and international coverage of news events, from the unique perspective of members of the Global Voices community. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the opinion of the community as a whole. All Posts ERROR: SECURITY TIMEOUT - Please copy your message to a backup location Global Voices stands out as one of the earliest and strongest examples of how media committed to building community and defending human rights can positively influence how people experience events happening beyond their own communities and national borders Please consider making a donation to help us continue this work Donate now Authors, please log in » Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay up to date about Global Voices and our mission. See our Privacy Policy for details. Newsletter powered by Mailchimp (Privacy Policy and Terms) Global Voices is supported by the efforts of our volunteer contributors, foundations, donors and mission-related services. For more information please read our Fundraising Ethics Policy Special thanks to our many sponsors and funders Tuesday World Subscribers only Israel prepares large-scale Gaza offensive to achieve lasting occupation World Subscribers only Romania enters government crisis amid election World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Detective tells court Kim Kardashian's robbers were 'a fine team France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Editorial European call to aid foreign researchers is too modest Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris The small fringe of people still living under the bombs is arousing the suspicion of the Ukrainian military By Emmanuel Grynszpan (Hirnyk and Selidove wait for the delivery of humanitarian aid in the town of Toretsk near a front line in the Donetsk region of Donbas ALINA SMUTKO / REUTERS An invisible gap is opening up just behind the Ukrainian lines as the Russian army and its bombing transformed the fields forests and towns of the Donbas into a lunar landscape The ordeal suffered by the local population had been going on for 870 days and distrust was growing between the few civilians clinging to their homes and the growing number of soldiers taking up quarters in abandoned houses or rented out to fleeing owners a paunchy 52-year-old Ukrainian officer in charge of psychological and moral support in the 59th motorized brigade was convinced that "90% of the civilians still holed up in their bombed-out homes are pro-Russians." Not authorized to speak to the media any more than the other soldiers quoted in this article the camouflage-clad officer asked that his identity not be revealed He chose his nom de guerre in reference to the former British prime minister the grizzled officer sped along a bumpy road in the Donbas a mining town with a population of 10,000 before the Russian invasion Perched on a hill 10 kilometers from Russian positions You have 85.33% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report Click here to see ISW's interactive map of Ukraine's offensive in Kursk Oblast Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of Ukraine Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly recommended for using this data-heavy tool Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly Note: The data cut-off for this product was 1pm ET on August 29 ISW will cover subsequent reports in the August 30 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment Russian forces are currently pursuing two immediate tactical efforts as part of their ongoing offensive operation to seize Pokrovsk — a tactical effort along the Novohrodivka-Hrodivka line east of Pokrovsk to seize Myrnohrad and advance up to Pokrovsk's outskirts and another tactical effort along the Selydove-Ukrainsk-Hirnyk line southeast of Pokrovsk aimed at widening Russia's salient in the Pokrovsk direction and eliminating vulnerabilities to Ukrainian counterattacks The Russian military command likely views both of these tactical efforts as desired prerequisites for launching an intensified offensive effort against Pokrovsk itself Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated on August 29 that the most intense battles in the Pokrovsk direction are ongoing on the eastern outskirts of Hrodivka (east of Pokrovsk) within Novohrodivka (southeast of Pokrovsk) and immediately east of Selydove near Mykhailivka (southeast of Pokrovsk).[1] ISW has observed Russian gains in these areas in recent days but Russian milbloggers have claimed that Russian forces have made more significant tactical gains in the Pokrovsk direction than what observed visually confirmed evidence currently supports.[2] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced up to the southeastern outskirts of Myrnohrad (immediately east of Pokrovsk) and have begun small arms battles with Ukrainian forces in the town although a Ukrainian military observer described the Russian forces operating in the town as sabotage and reconnaissance groups.[3] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces have advanced in much of eastern Selydove and have reached the center of the town.[4] Russian milbloggers also claimed that Russian forces are fighting on the northeastern outskirts of Ukrainsk (southeast of Pokrovsk) seized Memryk (immediately northeast of Ukrainsk) and entered Halitsynivka (immediately east of Ukrainsk).[5] Russian forces appear to be attempting to maintain their rate of advance along the Novohrodivka-Hrodivka line to quickly seize Myrnohrad and reach the outskirts of Pokrovsk although it remains unclear if Russian forces can maintain their relatively rapid rate of advance through the comparatively larger town of Myrnohrad and its surroundings Russian forces may attempt to fight directly through Ukrainian defensive positions along the Novohrodivka-Hrodivka line in order to maintain their rate of advance and try to seize Myrnohrad more quickly Russian efforts to seize Myrnohrad do not preclude Russian forces from advancing up to the eastern outskirts of Pokrovsk and the Russian military will likely pursue these tactical goals in tandem Reported Russian advances into Selydove and in the direction of Ukrainsk and Hirnyk likely aim to eliminate a relatively large Ukrainian salient on the southern edge of the wider Russian salient in the Pokrovsk direction that could threaten Russia's offensive effort in the area Ukrainian positions east of the Selydove-Ukrainsk-Hirnyk line offer Ukrainian forces opportunities to threaten the Russian rear in the Pokrovsk direction and the Russian military command is likely concerned about Ukrainian counterattacks and fires disrupting Russian offensive efforts as Russian forces deploy logistics and force concentrations westward into the forward part of the salient to support the intensified effort on Pokrovsk itself Russian positions along the E-50 (Donetsk City-Pokrovsk) highway southwest of Avdiivka are roughly 13 kilometers from Avdiivka whereas the current line of Russian advance along the Novohrodivka-Hrodivka line is 30 kilometers from Avdiivka Significant Ukrainian counterattacks from the base of the salient towards Avdiivka could threaten to encircle the Russian force grouping deployed forward in the salient and the Russian military command likely aims to preempt this possibility by eliminating the Ukrainian salient on the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction Russian forces likely hope that advances in the direction of Ukrainsk and Hirnyk will mutually support ongoing offensive operations west of Donetsk City and that offensive pressure from both directions will overwhelm Ukrainian forces or prompt Ukraine to withdraw from the limited positions in the rural open areas east of Ukrainsk and Hirnyk The area north of Krasnohorivka (west of Donetsk City) is mainly comprised of open fields with limited cover or concealment from relatively few windbreaks and Russian advances through this terrain would likely require significant successful mechanized assaults which Russian forces have routinely struggled to conduct.[9] Russian forces have proven more adept at advancing from settlement to settlement with small infantry groups in the Pokrovsk direction although it remains to be seen if Russian infantry groups can maintain their rate of advance as they approach Ukrainsk and Hirnyk.[10] The Russian military command likely aims to achieve both of these tactical efforts before launching the more resource-intensive effort to seize Pokrovsk itself although Russian forces may begin urban combat in Pokrovsk regardless if progress stalls on these preparatory efforts It remains unclear if the Russian military command intends for Russian forces to fight their way entirely through Pokrovsk in frontal urban combat as they have through the smaller towns east and southeast of Pokrovsk or aims to envelop or encircle the city as Russian forces previously attempted and failed to do against Bakhmut and Avdiivka.[11] The Russian military command's calculus about what preparatory actions are required for launching offensive operations on the city of Pokrovsk and how Russian forces will attempt to seize the city will likely depend on where Ukrainian forces decide to engage in significant defensive efforts ISW will not speculate or forecast about future Ukrainian defensive efforts Russian authorities are creating new volunteer territorial defense units in response to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to counter the incursion more seriously with a mobilization due to the risks of societal discontent or with large-scale redeployments due to possible disruptions to Russia's ongoing offensive operations in eastern Ukraine Smirnov stated that volunteers will sign six-month contracts and receive any "necessary" weapons to perform their duties Kursk Oblast officials published a recruitment ad for the detachment on August 24.[13] Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Vitaly Sarantsev reported that Russian authorities are also forming "BARS-Bryansk" and "BARS-Belgorod" detachments and that the three detachments will support the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces.[14] Sarantsev estimated that the three detachments will be comprised of 4,921 volunteers in total The formation of these new BARS (Russian Army Combat Reserve) volunteer detachments is consistent with the Kremlin's apparent strategy to avoid re-deploying experienced or combat effective units engaged in fighting in the Pokrovsk or Toretsk directions to Kursk Oblast due to concerns about slowing the tempo of Russian offensive operations in these higher priority directions ISW previously noted that the Kremlin appears to be largely relying on conscripts and irregular forces redeployed from lower-priority directions in Ukraine to defend against the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast.[15] Putin indicated a possible desire to continue relying on Russian volunteer servicemembers (dobrovoltsy) to address the Ukrainian incursion during his August 12 meeting with Russian military and civilian officials by alluding to increased willingness to sign military service contracts among prospective dobrovoltsy.[16] Putin has consistently relied on volunteer and irregular formations to alleviate Russia's manpower constraints during the war and has avoided declaring general mobilization or another round of partial mobilization both of which would be incredibly unpopular among Russian society.[17] Putin almost certainly remains extremely averse to declaring general mobilization and will likely continue to rely on irregular formations to address the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast until Russian offensive operations culminate in eastern Ukraine — at which point Putin may consider re-deploying more combat effective Russian forces from these directions to push Ukrainian units back across the border   Ukrainian forces recently marginally advanced north of Sudzha as Russian forces recaptured some areas of Kursk Oblast on August 29 Geolocated footage published on August 29 shows that Ukrainian forces have reached Nizhnyaya Parovaya (north of Sudzha) and advanced into the northwestern part of the settlement.[18] Additional geolocated footage published on August 29 shows that Russian forces have likely recaptured Ulanok (southeast of Sudzha) and eastern Korenevo.[19] Ukrainian forces continued attacking near Korenevo Malaya Loknya and Russkoye Porechnoye (both north of Sudzha) and within Borki (southeast of Sudzha).[20] Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces are continuing to storm Korenevo to try to create a route to Rylsk (northwest of Korenevo).[21] Elements of the Russian "Kaskad" Operational Combat Tactical Formation (formerly of the Donetsk People's Republic [DNR] Ministry of Internal Affairs [MVD] reportedly since subordinated to Rosgvardia) are reportedly fighting near Korenevo though the Russian military command reportedly previously dissolved the formation.[22] The Ukrainian General Staff reported on August 29 that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet recently crashed while defending against a large-scale Russian drone and missile strike.[23] An unnamed US official told Western media on August 29 that the jet crashed on August 26 and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) appointed a special commission to determine the cause of the crash.[24] The loss of equipment and aircraft during combat operations is not particularly novel and it is expected that Ukraine will lose some Western-provided military equipment during combat any loss among Ukraine's already limited allotment of Western-provided F-16s and trained pilots will have an outsized impact on Ukraine's ability to operate F-16s in the near term as part of its combined air defense umbrella or in an air-to-ground support role Russian authorities arrested and charged former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Army General Pavel Popov with large-scale fraud on August 29 The Russian Investigative Committee charged Popov with embezzling money meant for the maintenance of the Russian Ministry of Defense's (MoD) Patriot Park a Russian military exhibition in Moscow.[25] Russian authorities did not disclose how much money Popov is suspected of embezzling personally but noted his case is connected to the large-scale fraud cases of the Patriot Park Head Vyacheslav Akhmedov and MoD Directorate for Innovative Development Deputy Head Major General Vladimir Shesterov whom Russian authorities arrested on August 5 for embezzling over 40 million rubles (roughly $471,000).[26] Russian state news outlet TASS reported that Akhmedov testified against Popov.[27] A Russian source that has previously correctly preemptively reported several command changes within the Russian MoD assessed on August 5 that Popov could be the next high-ranking MoD official to be arrested.[28] Russian sources have previously theorized that the arrests of high-ranking MoD officials who served under former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu may be part of an effort to "clean house" of Shoigu's affiliates within the MoD which the sources claimed indicates that Shoigu's influence within the Kremlin may be declining.[29] Russian President Vladimir Putin will conduct an official visit to Mongolia despite Mongolia's status as a signatory to the Rome Statue and Mongolia’s legal obligation to enforce an arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court (ICC) The Kremlin press service announced on August 29 that Putin will travel to Mongolia on September 3 further highlighting the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.[33] Russia has previously stated that it does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and Russian officials have not yet commented on the possibility of Putin’s arrest in Mongolia The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on August 29 that Ukrainian forces struck the Atlas Oil Refinery in Rostov Oblast and the Zenit Oil Depot in Kirov Oblast on the night of August 27 to 28.[35] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that members of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces Ukraine's Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and Ukrainian forces struck the Atlas Oil Refinery causing a fire at the refinery's vertical reservoirs The Ukrainian General Staff also reported that Ukrainian forces also struck the Zenit Oil Depot and a field artillery warehouse of the Russian Western Grouping of Forces in Voronezh Oblast and are clarifying the effect of these strikes Russian and Ukrainian sources stated on August 28 that Ukrainian forces struck targets in Rostov   We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas We utterly condemn Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Kharkiv Oblast (Russian objective: Push Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City) Fighting continued north of Kharkiv City near Lyptsi and Hlyboke and northeast of Kharkiv City in Vovchansk on August 29 Leningrad Military District [LMD]) are operating near Lukyantsi (north of Kharkiv City) and that elements of the Russian 136th Motorized Rifle Brigade (58th Combined Arms Army [CAA] Southern Military District [SMD]) continued conducting a relief in place for elements of the 83rd Airborne (VDV) Brigade near Tykhe (northeast of Kharkiv City and east of Vovchansk).[40]   Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces recently advanced northeast of Kupyansk and reportedly seized Synkivka (northeast of Kupyansk) amid continued fighting along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on August 29 Geolocated footage published on August 29 indicates that Russian forces advanced in central Synkivka.[41] Russian sources claimed that Russian forces seized Synkivka and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces seized Stelmakhivka (southeast of Kupyansk).[42]A Kremlin-affiliated Russian milblogger also claimed that Russian forces advanced southeast of Kupyansk near Pishchane and Tabaivka.[43]ISW has not observed confirmation of these claims Fighting continued near Synkivka; southeast of Kupyansk near Stelmakhivka and Kruhlyakivka and towards Lozova; west of Svatove near Myasozharivka; southwest of Svatove near Tverdokhlibove and towards Cherneshchyna and Druzhelyubivka; northwest of Kreminna near Novosadove and Makiivka; west of Kreminna near Torske; and south of Kreminna near the Serebryanske forest area on August 28 and 29.[44] A Ukrainian officer operating in the Lyman direction reported that Russian forces are attacking daily in small squad-sized assault groups of two to four people and have recently been using equipment after not using equipment for an unspecified amount of time.[45]   Russian Subordinate Main Effort #3 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Russian forces continued offensive operations northeast of Siversk near Bilohorivka and southeast of Siversk near Vyimka and Spirne on August 28 and 29 but there were no changes to the frontline.[46] Russian forces continued offensive operations near Chasiv Yar; north of Chasiv Yar near Hryhorivka; east of Chasiv Yar near Ivanivske; and southeast of Chasiv Yar near Klishchiivka and Bila Hora on August 28 and 29.[47] Elements of the Russian Sever-V Brigade (Russian Volunteer Corps) are reportedly operating near Hryhorivka.[48]   Russian forces recently advanced east of Toretsk and reportedly advanced further within eastern Toretsk on August 29 Geolocated footage published on August 28 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced along Chapaieva Street in northwestern Druzhba (east of Toretsk).[49] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced up to 500 meters in eastern Toretsk on August 29 although ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim.[50] Russian forces continued offensive operations near Toretsk east of Toretsk near Pivnichne and Druzhba south of Toretsk near Niu York and Nelipivka and southwest of Toretsk near Sukha Balka on August 28 and 29.[51]   Russian forces recently advanced east and southeast of Pokrovsk and continued offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction on August 29 Geolocated footage published on August 29 indicates that Russian forces advanced to a windbreak northwest of Svyrydonivka (east of Pokrovsk) northwards in fields east of Hordivka (east of Pokrovsk) 1/3 in northwestern Novohrodivka (southeast of Pokrovsk) and westward up to the Rosiia Mine slag heap north of Mykhailivka (southeast of Pokrovsk).[52] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces advanced further within northwestern Novohrodivka although ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim.[53] Russian forces continued offensive operations east of Pokrovsk near Vozdvyzhenka and Hrodivka and southeast of Pokrovsk near Novohrodivka   Russian forces continued offensive operations west of Donetsk City near Heorhiivka and Krasnohorivka on August 29 but did not make any confirmed gains.[55] Elements of the Russian 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade (1st Donetsk People's Republic [DNR] Army Corps [AC]) and 238th Artillery Brigade (8th Combined Arms Army [CAA] Southern Military District [SMD]) are reportedly operating near Krasnohorivka.[56] Russian forces recently advanced southwest of Donetsk City and continued offensive operations in the area on August 29 Geolocated footage published on August 28 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in fields south of Pobieda.[57] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced northward past the T-05-09 highway west of Pavlivka and advanced along a front up to 2.5 kilometers wide and a kilometer deep northeast of Vuhledar.[58] ISW has not observed confirmation of these claims Russian forces continued offensive operations near Kostyantynivka   Russian and Ukrainian forces did not report fighting in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area on August 29 Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) A Russian milblogger claimed on August 29 that positional fighting continued in western Zaporizhia Oblast on August 29.[60] Another Russian milblogger claimed on August 29 that elements of the Russian 70th and 71st motorized rifle regiments (both of the (42nd Motorized Rifle Division Southern Military District [SMD]) advanced north and east of Robotyne although ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim.[61] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces attacked in Robotyne and northeast of Robotyne near Mala Tokmachka on August 28 and 29.[62] Sevastopol occupation head Mikhail Razvozhaev claimed on August 29 that Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian aerial and naval drone strike on Sevastopol and destroyed four aerial drones over the Black Sea and three naval drones in the area.[63] ISW has not observed additional evidence confirming this claim and Drone Campaign (Russian Objective: Target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure in the rear and on the frontline) Russian forces conducted a large series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of August 28 to 29 Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk reported on August 29 that Russian forces launched three Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and two missiles of an unspecified type from airspace over Kursk and Belgorod oblasts and 74 Shahed-136/131 drones from Primorsk-Akhtarsk and Yeysk Krasnodar Krai and Kursk Oblast.[64] Oleshchuk reported that Ukranian forces downed two Kh-59/69 missiles and 60 Shahed drones over Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts and that the other 14 drones did not strike their intended targets Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization) The Russian government continues to expand pathways for accused criminals to sign military service contracts Kremlin newswire TASS reported on August 29 that a group of State Duma deputies submitted a bill proposing to allow accused criminals to sign military service contracts during mobilization and wartime.[65] Russian State Duma State Building and Legislation Committee Head Pavel Krasheninnikov and Defense Committee Head Andrei Kartapolov and Russian Federation Council Constitutional Legislation and State Building Committee Head Andrei Klishas authored the bill and noted that the bill does not apply to criminals accused of violence against minors The author's explanatory note states that the bill also allows for people with a criminal record or who have expunged criminal records to sign military service contracts It is unclear how the proposed process is legally different from the current mechanisms through which Russia has had convict recruits sign military contracts although the new law may no longer require the immediate pardons that the Kremlin appeared to be offering convicts in exchange for signing contracts.[66] Russian authorities have previously relied on penal and convict recruits to supplant Russia's manpower needs in Ukraine.[67] Kremlin officials continue to project confidence about the state of Russia's domestic drone production capabilities Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitri Peskov claimed on August 29 that Russia is developing its high-tech industry and that Russian drone production industry is moving towards using a higher percentage of import-substituted component parts and machine building equipment.[68] Russia has previously relied on the People's Republic of China (PRC) to evade sanctions and offset limitations in its domestic technology and production capacities and the PRC is set to limit the export of an unspecified number of radio and drone production components to Russia beginning on September 1.[69] Russian Technological Adaptations (Russian objective: Introduce technological innovations to optimize systems for use in Ukraine) Ukrainian Defense Industrial Efforts (Ukrainian objective: Develop its defense industrial base to become more self-sufficient in cooperation with US ISW is suspending publishing coverage of Ukrainian defense industrial efforts until further notice Activities in Russian-occupied areas (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural ISW is not publishing coverage of activities in Russian-occupied areas today Russian Information Operations and Narratives Russian officials recently intensified existing narratives attempting to deter the West from providing further military assistance to Ukraine and prevent the West from lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-provided weapons against military targets in Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova and First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitri Polyansky recently doubled down on narratives accusing Ukraine and the West of escalating the war in Ukraine and permitting alleged Ukrainian war crimes in Kursk Oblast.[70] The Kremlin has routinely intensified these information operations during critical moments in Western policy discussions regarding support for Ukraine and is likely doing so now as part of its ongoing reflexive control campaign to coerce Western decision-makers into making policy decisions favorable to Russia.[71] Significant activity in Belarus (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus) Ukraine's State Border Service Spokesperson Andriy Demchenko reported on August 29 that Ukrainian forces have not recorded any significant movement or increase of Belarusian forces near the Ukrainian border and the implications that such an incursion would have for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime domestically.[74] Independent Belarusian monitoring group the Hajun Project reported on August 28 that Belarusian forces used a fixed wing aircraft to shoot down a Russian Shahed-136/131 drone that violated Belarusian airspace amid a large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine on the night of August 28 to 29.[75] Belarusian forces reportedly shot down the drone over Yelsk Raion Gomel Oblast (which shares a border with northern Ukraine) Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update   [1] https://www.facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine/posts/pfbid02dAFUbguyJ6ti1Xx4GKu9JNNtteqK33sf7Gj4h8fBH2aqzLGy9YPnhyALJgZQsJial ; https://t.me/osirskiy/830 ; https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/29/golovnokomanduvach-zsu-pobuvav-na-pokrovskomu-napryamku-i-rozpoviv-pro-zhorstki-boyi/ [2] https://t.me/operativnoZSU/155760; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6583 ; https://t.me/ngu_war_for_peace/20294; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6582 ; https://t.me/officer_alex33/3599; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6580 ; https://www.facebook.com/151OMBr/videos/856130316682507/; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6587 ; https://t.me/okspn/32537; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6589 ; [3] https://t.me/dva_majors/50947 ; https://t.me/stringer_donetsk/13580 ; https://t.me/Donbas_Operativnyi/87930 [4] https://t.me/stringer_donetsk/13578; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27847 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/135301 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58614 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58629 ; https://t.me/notes_veterans/19177 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/135368 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/135278; [5] https://t.me/stringer_donetsk/13581 ; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27856 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/135353 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58636 [6] https://t.me/rybar/63125; https://t.me/rybar/62816; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/135195 ; https://t.me/zimovskyAL/31879; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58508; https://t.me/rybar/62969 [8] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-17-2024 [9] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-21-2024-0; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-17-2024; https://isw.pub/UkrWar080824; https://isw.pub/UkrWar08072024; https://isw.pub/UkrWar073024; https://isw.pub/UkrWar072524; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-2-2024 [10] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-17-2024 [11] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/kremlin%E2%80%99s-pyrrhic-victory-bakhmut-retrospective-battle-bakhmut ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/how-delays-western-aid-gave-russia-initiative-ukrainian-counteroffensive-kharkiv [13] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-24-2024 [14] https://t.me/otukharkiv/975 ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/08/29/okupanty-formuyut-novu-brygadu-dlya-pidtrymky-svoyih-syl-na-harkivshhyni/ [16] http://kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74856 ; https://www.kommersant dot ru/doc/6891385 [17] https://isw.pub/UkrWar012724 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar121423 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar012223 [18] https://t.me/napravleniespravedlivosti/283; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6584 [19] https://x.com/blinzka/status/1829143931310977133; https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1829125774374310218; https://t.me/black_swan_ukraine/184; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6588; https://x.com/EjShahid/status/1828803134417957344 [20] https://t.me/rybar/63146; https://t.me/dva_majors/50947; https://t.me/wargonzo/21806 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/50999 ; https://t.me/warhistoryalconafter/181972; https://t.me/rusich_army/16845; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14717 ; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14718 [21] https://t.me/wargonzo/21805 ; https://t.me/mig41/36547 [22] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-21-2024; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-4-2024; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-3-2024 [23] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid021zRYaFyVCw5dQ8WhKpDc7vMnpQP2k18FWkMqqt2ZGeYZ44B4zu4gBCkem8KTeyDTl [24] https://www.wsj.com/world/ukrainian-f-16-is-destroyed-in-crash-4f6d66f6?mod=breakingnews ; https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-f-16-jet-destroyed-crash-monday-wsj-reports-2024-08-29/ ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid021zRYaFyVCw5dQ8WhKpDc7vMnpQP2k18FWkMqqt2ZGeYZ44B4zu4gBCkem8KTeyDTl [25] https://tass dot ru/proisshestviya/21719009; https://meduza dot io/news/2024/08/29/protiv-byvshego-zamministra-oborony-rf-pavla-popova-vozbudili-ugolovnoe-delo-o-moshennichestve; https://t.me/tass_agency/269157; https://t.me/tass_agency/269158; https://t.me/tass_agency/269160; https://t.me/tass_agency/269161 [26] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-5-2024 [27] https://tass dot ru/proisshestviya/21719431; https://t.me/tass_agency/269236 [28] https://t.me/arbat/1846; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-5-2024 [30] https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-mongolia-visit-icc-arrest-warrant-0b97ffa2e76f0809264d3d4872484d0c; https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and; https://meduza dot io/news/2024/08/29/putin-3-sentyabrya-posetit-mongoliyu-eta-strana-chlen-mus-i-formalno-dolzhna-ego-arestovat ; https://t.me/bbcrussian/69673 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/269221 ; http://www.kremlin dot ru/events/president/news/74957 [31] https://apnews.com/article/brics-xi-jinping-putin-china-russia-963108da4d389f8e1e7775c9e002b5f9 [32] https://meduza dot io/news/2024/08/29/putin-3-sentyabrya-posetit-mongoliyu-eta-strana-chlen-mus-i-formalno-dolzhna-ego-arestovat ; https://t.me/bbcrussian/69673 [33] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-15-2024 [34] https://tass dot com/politics/1588237 [35] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid08qQM6whKRYFt6Sj7n1u7DKtVegsAYcXqkj5B9GU99bz2WdGmP4tXX3NjhBBhtvT2l ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/08/29/u-dvoh-oblastyah-na-rosiyi-goryat-naftobazy/ [37] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl; https://t.me/wargonzo/21807; https://t.me/mod_russia/42725; [39] https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/28/otu-harkiv-rosiyany-zavodyat-dodatkovi-pidrozdily-z-leningradskoyi-oblasti/ ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5TqaWCCdUg [40] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-28-2024; https://t.me/otukharkiv/970 [41] https://x.com/AMKosint/status/1829054009682079984; https://t.me/divgen/53612; https://t.me/kupiansknash/11145; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6576 [42] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/14694; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27853; https://t.me/vrogov/17271 ;  https://t.me/mod_russia/42725 [44]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl [45] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5TqaWCCdUg ; https://armyinform dot com.ua/2024/08/29/u-sylah-oborony-rozpovily-pro-vorozhu-taktyku-vypalenoyi-zemli-na-lymanskomu-napryamku/ [46] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl [47] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl [48] https://t.me/Sever_Z/5960 ; https://t.me/voin_dv/10519 [49] https://t.me/ZSU_32_OMBR/110; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6573 [50] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75904 ; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27851 [51] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl [52] https://t.me/operativnoZSU/155760; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6583 ; https://t.me/ngu_war_for_peace/20294; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6582 ; https://t.me/officer_alex33/3599; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6580 ; https://www.facebook.com/151OMBr/videos/856130316682507/; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6587 ; https://t.me/okspn/32537; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6589 [54] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl ; https://t.me/rybar/63125 ; https://t.me/wargonzo/21807 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58613 ; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/58629 [55] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://t.me/wargonzo/21807 [57] https://t.me/odshbr79/314; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6572 [58] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/75904 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/50949 ; https://t.me/z_arhiv/27849 [59] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl [62] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Zk9JE35rpj96MTjvBrtAspTzFf5Joc3gcvY7tXtucB2zuFMm2TspVxbJdUXfgJKsl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02Bp4dr92qk2zHW1YEuNAwPyZ7KPNvhinR8r46MauKYDt88NdpLgrxGT8Amw3BYBBCl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0Znz1cYM6oYhxkV7eYuL9qyGxu6AKnj9pAkpCkvELzQZayx2xVxG8BmF7FCfrtSLdl [63] https://t.me/dva_majors/50947; https://t.me/razvozhaev/7880; https://t.me/razvozhaev/7881 [65] https://tass dot ru/obschestvo/21719509 ; https://sozd dot duma.gov.ru/bill/708911-8 [66] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-25-2024 ; https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/clev58319pvo ; https://t.me/bbcrussian/59722 [67] 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https://youtu.be/j5TqaWCCdUg ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/08/29/chy-ye-biloruski-vijska-na-kordoni-rozpovily-v-dpsu/ [73] https://youtu.be/j5TqaWCCdUg ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/08/29/bpla-ta-systemy-videosposterezhennya-yak-monitoryat-derzhrubizh-z-bilorussyu-rozpovily-prykordonnyky/ [74] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-26-2024 [75] https://x.com/Hajun_BY/status/1829051992112504990; https://x.com/Hajun_BY/status/1829051995648385519; https://x.com/Hajun_BY/status/1829051998592704870 either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Russia has advanced toward one of its key targets in eastern Ukraine in recent days as Moscow says its troops have captured another village in the embattled Donetsk region The U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) which tracks daily changes to the front line said on Saturday that Russian forces had advanced to the east and southeast of Pokrovsk a city in the west of Ukraine's embattled Donetsk region The Ukrainian-held Donetsk logistics hub of Pokrovsk has been referred to as a "fortress" settlement key to Ukrainian defenses in the east and connected to other critical defensive cities Russia has been slowly but surely heading for the settlement since the former Ukrainian stronghold, Avdiivka, fell to Moscow in February. The ISW previously told Newsweek that Russia had advanced roughly two square kilometers (0.7 square miles) each day to the west of the Avdiivka toward Pokrovsk between February and the start of August This pace would likely slow down as Moscow's troops head further toward Pokrovsk coming up once again against more residential and built-up areas Popular Ukrainian war-tracking blog DeepState said late on Friday that Russia had advanced in Selydove a town southeast of Pokrovsk where heavy fighting has been reported Ukraine's military said in a statement at 4 p.m ET) on Sunday that Russia had "already made 15 attempts" to dislodge Ukrainian troops from positions around Selydove and other settlements along the front line The pro-Kremlin Shot Telegram channel said on Saturday that Russia had made an "epic breakthrough" into Selydove claiming that Moscow's forces now control 80 percent of the settlement "The main battles are for the city center," the channel wrote claiming that Ukrainian forces had pulled back to the northwest of Selydove The Two Majors Telegram channel said on Sunday that a Russian push "led to the collapse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defense" in Selydove the village of Hirnyk—southeast of the former—and another settlement to the southwest Russian state news agency Tass reported on Sunday that Kyiv had pulled back from many positions in Hirnyk Selydove "has been taken," the account claimed Newsweek could not independently verify battlefield reports and has reached out to the Ukrainian military and Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its troops had captured Izmailivka a village southeast of Pokrovsk and immediately west of Hirnyk Moscow said its forces had seized Oleksandropil a village northeast of Pokrovsk and west of ongoing fighting for the Donetsk city of Toretsk a village in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region that Kyiv had retaken during its 2023 counteroffensive It sits just across the southern Donetsk border a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces in the south said on Sunday that Ukraine was still in control of high ground near Levadne and were trying to recover their positions Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all (Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images)Key updates on May 1: Drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) attacked the Ryazan Oil Refinery and a refinery in Voronezh Oblast overnight on May 1 a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent The official was not authorized to talk to the press as Ukraine rarely publicly takes responsibility for attacks deep inside Russia Russian authorities reported on drone strikes against the two oblasts earlier on May 1 with claims being spread on the Russian Telegram channels that the Ryazan refinery was on fire The first four explosions could be heard at the Ryazan refinery at around 2 a.m after which a large fire was seen on the facility's territory The Voronezh Oblast refinery was also presumably hit The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed six Ukrainian drones overnight: three over Voronezh Oblast Ukrainian forces have recently launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry. Attacks against oil depots in Russia's Smolensk Oblast last week destroyed 26,000 cubic meters of fuel security sources told the Kyiv Independent The Ryazan Oil Refinery, the largest plant operated by Rosneft, was reportedly also targeted on March 13 Oslo will increase aid to Ukraine by 7 billion Norwegian kroner (about $631 million) the bulk of which will support Kyiv's anti-aircraft and artillery ammunition supplies Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told the E24 news outlet on April 30 Stoere previously said on April 21 that Norway would direct "significant sums" to Ukraine's air defense but did not specify the exact amount The new funds will primarily support military aid to Ukraine, with a smaller portion allocated to civilian financial aid, said Stoere Norway will partner with Germany, the U.S., and other allies to locate anti-aircraft ammunition to better protect Ukraine's skies. According to Stoere, air defense systems have already been produced and are ready to be delivered to Kyiv in the near future "Now it's about delivering fairly immediately on this with air defense," Stoere said "We get daily news that Ukrainians are waking up to apartment buildings and power plants being hit by Russian missiles They must be able to defend themselves against this." The funds will also support the Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine's front-line troops Norway has recently ramped up efforts to increase defense production both for domestic needs and for aid to Ukraine Oslo allocated 2 billion Norwegian kroner ($190 million) in January for Ukrainian aid The death toll of a Russian missile attack against Odesa on April 29 has risen to six after an injured man died in the hospital Russia launched a cluster munition-armed Iskander missile against Odesa late on April 29 "This (cluster munition) is an indiscriminate weapon, the use of which can lead to significant casualties among the civilian population," Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said on April 30 "The investigators have a reason to believe that the decision to use such a weapon was taken by the Russian military officers deliberately to kill as many Ukrainian civilians as possible." Odesa Oblast and other southern regions of Ukraine are regular targets of Russian missile and drone attacks Most recently, Russian forces launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles against the southern port city overnight on April 30-May 1, killing three people and injuring three others Some of Ukraine's allies have sent weapons to Kyiv with no restrictions on strikes inside Russia Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said in an interview with European Pravda published on May 1 Ukraine has continued to press its Western allies for longer-range weapons but partners have hesitated about delivering arms that could potentially be used to strike within Russian territory Braze said that Ukraine needs the capabilities to conduct "deep precision strikes," including against targets on Russian territory "Ukraine's (use of Western weapons) is permitted by international law. If there are facilities from which Russia is carrying out attacks on Ukraine, you have the right to respond," the Latvian minister said When asked whether the approach to the ban on foreign-made weapons strikes on Russian territory could change Braze answered that "there are countries that have already provided Ukraine with weapons without such restrictions." "Not everything is announced publicly and it is even better not to say it out loud until a certain time The main thing is the impact on the battlefield Because there is a choice here — either to speak loudly about something or just to do what is necessary," the minister said Ukrainian forces reportedly successfully used them to strike targets on the Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea Russian troops attacked the town of Hirnyk in Donetsk Oblast on May 1, killing two people and injuring six, Governor Vadym Filashkin said, citing preliminary information.Russia carried out the attack using Uragan multiple rocket launchers killing a 57-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man Hirnyk is located some 50 kilometers west of the occupied city of Donetsk "The final information on the number of victims and the extent of damage will be established later," Filashkin said Donetsk Oblast partially occupied by Russian forces since 2014 Local officials report losses among the civilian population on a near-daily basis Russian forces attacked seven settlements in the region over the past day, including in the Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut districts, local authorities said We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent We are here to make sure our readers get quick essential updates about the events in Ukraine Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole Russian forces are advancing in the Donetsk oblast as maps showed the latest state of play on the front line in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region Pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Politika Strana said on Wednesday that Moscow's troops had made "significant progress" in the Vuhledar "To the east, near Kamyanske, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have become more active," the post said, adding that the to the west Russians had advanced north of Vuhledar which tracks the war's latest developments posted on Tuesday a graphic that showed some of Russia's advances It said that Russian forces raised the flag just east of Siversk "indicating large advances that are odd if taken at face value," it said next to the map Moscow's troops "raised their flag in Zhelanne Pershe near Hirnyk" and that there were advances in the Toretsk direction Daily Ukraine map thread for Tuesday 8th October 2024Highlights: Interestingly, Russian forces raised the flag in Hryhorivka and Verkhnokamyanske just east of Siversk, indicating large advances that are odd if taken at face value. We can't tell if the Hryhorivka forces advanced… pic.twitter.com/6l6depEXBI It comes amid growing concerns about the potential collapse of the Ukrainian front as Russia continues its push towards the strategic town of Pokrovsk whose capture could see a breakthrough by Moscow further west and reinforce its attempt to capture the entire Donetsk oblast wrote on October 3 on Facebook: "The collapse of the army has reached such a scale that no measures will help Meanwhile, in its most recent update, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Russian forces had reportedly pushed west of Donetsk city and seized half of Maksymilyanivka of the terrain east of Pokrovsk illustrates how Russian forces have advanced southwest of the city of Novohrodivka southeast of Ostrivske and seized Tsukuryne according to Ukrainian and Russian sources Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment Russia is also continuing to hit border regions in Ukraine with grenade launchers A total of eight communities in the northeast Sumy Oblast were hit in 22 separate attacks throughout Tuesday Moscow has stepped up its strikes against the region since Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in early August Kyiv claims to control around 500 square miles of the Russian region and the ISW said Monday that Ukrainian forces have continued with assaults in Kursk in the Glushkovsky district west of the main Ukrainian salient Russian forces entered the war-battered town of Avdiivka for the first time but were pushed back following months of fierce fighting for the industrial hub in east Ukraine Moscow in October launched a costly bid to wrest control of the town which has been on the front line of fighting between Ukraine and Russian-backed forces since 2014 Kyiv has said its forces are holding out against Russia's efforts to encircle the town that had an estimated pre-war population of some 32,000 people "Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered the southern part of the city of Avdiivka but they were dislodged," Avdiivka Mayor Vitalii Barabash said He declined to say when Russian forces entered Avdiivka or how long they had been in the town His comments come as local officials said a Russian rocket strike on the town of Hirnyk killed at least two people and wounded eight "The Russians attacked the town today around 4:00 p.m hitting a residential area," Vadym Filashkin the Ukrainian head of the Donetsk region said in a social media post Towns and villages along the sprawling frontline are subject to daily artillery and rocket attacks Barabash said "the situation is under the control of the armed forces The situation is difficult but controlled." He said there were just under 1,100 civilians remaining in the town but no children The eastern Donetsk region has seen some of the worst fighting of Russia's nearly two-year invasion Russia claimed to have annexed the territory alongside three other frontline Ukrainian regions late in 2022 Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung He has covered foreign policy and defense matters especially in relation to U.S.-China ties and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan John joined Newsweek in 2020 after reporting in Central Europe and the United Kingdom He is a graduate of National Chengchi University in Taipei and SOAS You can get in touch with John by emailing j.feng@newsweek.com Russian forces are making gains southeast of the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and maps show the latest state of play on the Donetsk front Geolocated footage showed that Russian troops had raised a Russian flag over a city municipal building in Selydove, which is around 11 miles from Pokrovsk where Moscow troops continue to make advances. Pokrovsk has been a focus for the Kremlin's goals to totally capture the Donbas region which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts There have been reports of steady Moscow gains in that part of the front particularly since Ukraine's August incursion into Russia's Kursk region Russian military bloggers said that Moscow's forces had seized and are clearing the entirety of Selydove, although Washington-based research group the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it has not yet seen confirmation of Russian forces operating in the west of the town "The cleansing of the city is nearing completion!" posted Telegram channel Voenkori as it said that Russian troops "stormed" the city and that Ukrainian troops "fled across the river and to Grigorovka." you just need to share the joy of liberation with the guys who are working there," posted Paratrooper's Diary The ISW's latest map on Sunday highlighted some of these reported Russian gains These included in and around Selydove as well as Russian claims that Moscow had captured Oleksandropil and Hirnyk on Saturday Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment The Ukrainian General Staff said Russian forces attacked east and southeast of Pokrovsk over the weekend although it insisted that Kyiv's troops "are holding down the pressure and have so far repelled ten attacks of the opponent." Updated map showing Russian advances. Russia has captured most of Selydove and advanced west of the town, occupied Hirnyk, captured most of Bohoyavlivka, and occupied the area between Novoukrainka and Shakhtars'ke. Russian advances have accelerated over the past week on the… https://t.co/iDY41zB1rB pic.twitter.com/0wzq9qWoCm "The situation on the front line remains tense," the Ukrainian military said on Facebook on Sunday despite the significant losses inflicted to him by our defenders continues to try to break through Ukrainian defenses." the Ukrainian open-source intelligence X account DeepState posted a map which showed that Russia has captured most of Selydove and advanced west of the town and occupied the area between Novoukrainka and Shakhtarsk "Russian advances have accelerated over the past week on the Selydove, Kurakhivka, and Vuhledar fronts," wrote military analyst Rob Lee on X, formerly Twitter Since the beginning of the day on September 25 and is attacking the positions of Ukrainian troops particularly actively in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the aggressor continues to use artillery and aviation against the territories of the Chernihiv and Sumy regions Areas around settlements such as Mazepivka the enemy's aviation struck the areas of the settlements of Obody the enemy has carried out ten airstrikes on the territory of the Kursk region Our forces repelled a Russian attack near Vovchansk Three assault attempts by the invaders were thwarted by our troops near Lozova and Kruhlyakivka in the Kupiansk direction the enemy is attacking in the areas of Hrekivka A total of seven engagements have been recorded in this direction since the beginning of the day Siversk was struck by guided aerial bombs (KABs) and Fedoriivka came under fire from unguided aerial missiles Fighting continues in the areas of Hryhorivka and Klishchiyivka in the Kramatorsk direction where the enemy is attempting to push Ukrainian defenders back with the support of assault and bomber aviation the enemy has attacked our positions six times Combat is currently ongoing near Shcherbynivka and Nelipivka The hottest fighting is in the Pokrovsk direction with fierce battles taking place in the areas of Novotoretske The enemy has made 33 attempts to storm Ukrainian positions so far there are seven ongoing engagements in the areas of Tsukuryne with our defenders having repelled eleven enemy assaults four enemy assault attempts were repelled near Vuhledar and Vodiane while four enemy assaults are still ongoing our defenders repelled three unsuccessful enemy attacks Russia is actively using aviation against the areas of Novoandriivka and Kamianske the Russian army carried out airstrikes on Kherson and Burhunka using aerial bombs and unguided aerial missiles According to the General Staff, on the previous day, September 24, there were 154 combat engagements on the frontlines The Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions remain the hottest Intense fighting is also ongoing around Vuhledar Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion During the last day, the Defense Forces eliminated another 1,250 soldiers and destroyed 15 tanks the largest number of combat engagements was recorded in the Lyman sector the situation remains tense in the Kurakhove sector reports the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The border settlements of Sumy and Chernihiv regions continue to suffer from shelling from the territory of Russia artillery and mortar fire hit the areas of Oleksandrivka and Maiske using seven glide bombs in the areas of Andriivka the Russian troops continue to drop bombs on the Kursk region 11 airstrikes involving 16 guided aerial bombs have been reported Since the beginning of the day in the Kharkiv direction Russians have carried out five attacks near Starytsia and Vovchansk Kucherivka and Novoosynove in the Kupiansk direction have been attacked three times since the beginning of the day the enemy launched an air strike with guided bombs in the areas of Zelenyi Hai and Pershotravneve Fourteen times the enemy tried to push our defenders from their positions in the Lyman direction near Druzheliubivka Defense forces repelled three enemy attacks in the Kramatorsk direction near Bila Hora Druzhba and Kostiantynivka in the Toretsk direction came under air strikes with guided bombs the Russians carried out eight attacks near Toretsk and Shcherbynivka where the enemy's offensive is still ongoing Ten enemy offensives took place in the Pokrovsk direction with Russians storming the positions of our defenders near Myrnohrad The situation is tense in the Kurakhove direction where the invaders attacked nine times near Novoselidove Attack aircraft attacked Novodarivka and Poltavka in the Vremivka direction and the enemy also conducted three assaults on our defenders' defensive lines near Bohoyavlenka and Zolota Niva Two enemy attacks were repelled in the Prydniprovskyi direction The situation in other frontline areas remains unchanged The military recorded 169 combat engagements in the frontline yesterday Also, as of October 5, Russia lost 1250 soldiers in the war against Ukraine and the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 101 vehicles and 55 artillery systems Russia may launch a new wave of intense offensives on Pokrovsk This will depend on its actions on the flanks Political expert from the Information Resistance group stated this in a comment to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel "Everything depends on how the situation actually unfolds in the south of the Pokrovsk direction not just in the south of the general combat zone or theater of operations How quickly they can establish the southern flank the results they achieve in the area around Selydove," Kovalenko noted Ukrainian defenders are conducting high-quality defense and the Russian troops cannot break into the city and establish themselves there to begin urban combat as long as Selydove remains under Ukrainian control starting a new offensive on Pokrovsk poses a significant risk for the Russian forces The same applies to the area around Hirnyk-Kurakhivka-Zoriane Ukrainian control over this agglomeration also prevents the Russian army from advancing towards Kurakhove "The situation in these locations will determine when the Russians can launch a new more intense wave of offensive actions in the Pokrovsk direction," Kovalenko emphasized the Russian troops are attempting to establish flanks and secure new positions around Novohrodivka but are not moving directly against Pokrovsk former spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated in a comment to RBC-Ukraine that the Russian forces had likely suspended their offensive on Pokrovsk the battle for the city is expected to take place in the fall Additionally, on September 18, The Guardian reported that the battle for Pokrovsk would be the culmination of Russia's military campaign this year. Recently, the Russian army has achieved significant tactical successes in capturing the city of Selydove and its surroundings in the Donetsk region. However, Russian concentration in the southern direction has considerably slowed the potential occupation of Pokrovsk, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). It is noted that the enemy's success in Selydove and its outskirts occurred due to the Russians' ability to maintain a large-scale offensive directly toward Pokrovsk, which had been previously identified as an operational objective. Geolocated videos released on October 22 and 23 demonstrate the advance of Russian troops along Skhidna Street in the northeastern part of Selydove, as well as northward along Berehova and Zakhysnykiv Streets in the east toward the city center. Geolocated footage published on October 23 also indicates that elements of the Russian 114th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade (51st Guards Combined Arms Army, formerly the 1st Army Corps of the Donetsk People's Republic) captured Izmailivka (southeast of Selydove). Additionally, the geolocated images released on October 23 suggest that the Russian army has also advanced to the northeastern outskirts of Novoselydivka (west of Izmailivka and south of Selydove) and into fields northwest of Tsukuryne (also south of Selydove but north of the Izmailivka-Novoselydivka area). Russian media reported that Russian forces advanced north of Selydove and reached the outskirts of Vyshneve (to the west of the city) along the C05091 highway. While moving northwest from Tsukuryne, Russians also made territorial gains in Hirnyk (southeast of Selydove). However, the ISW has yet to find confirmation of these claims. Photo: Assessed control of terrain east of Pokrovsk as of October 23, 2024 The ISW notes that Russian troops' advance toward Selydove, along with territorial gains south and north of the city, may soon compel Ukrainian forces to withdraw from this area to avoid being trapped in a collapsing pocket. At the same time, ISW highlights that Ukrainian troops appear committed to securely defending the city and have significantly delayed the advance of Russian forces since they first began their assault on the settlement in August 2024. "Selydove is not Russia's operational objective on this part of the front, notably, and Ukraine's decision to defend the settlement has likely fixed a relatively large contingent of Russian troops on the southern flank of Pokrovsk — which is Russia's primary, and operationally meaningful, objective in the area," the ISW states. Ukrainian military analyst Kostiantyn Mashovets noted this dynamic. He stated that Russian command in the Pokrovsk direction currently faces several more localized problems that hinder Russian forces' direct capture of Pokrovsk. Mashovets emphasized that while a large number of Russian forces have been redeployed across the entire Pokrovsk front, significant contingents from the 2nd Combined Arms Army (Central Military District) and the 90th Tank Division (41st Combined Arms Army, Central Military District) are engaged in attempts to capture Selydove rather than developing attacks on Pokrovsk. The analyst concluded that the Russian command had created a large operational reserve for an offensive on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. However, these forces have become bogged down in attacks on Selydove and the southern flank of Pokrovsk, which the Russian command had hoped to capture swiftly. A Russian military blogger and former instructor of the Storm-Z unit agreed with Mashovets' analysis, noting that despite the widely acknowledged importance of Russian forces capturing Pokrovsk, the process is stalled. The blogger pointed out that the fixation of Russian command on the southern flank of Pokrovsk has led to a "spreading of forces and resources." This, in turn, has resulted in excessive losses among Russian infantry and given the Armed Forces of Ukraine additional time to strengthen Pokrovsk itself further. ISW is convinced that Russian forces may capture Selydove in the coming days, but taking this city does not equate to taking Pokrovsk. The Institute believes that the capture of Selydove likely exhausted and attrited Russian forces, reducing their combat effectiveness if they received orders to pivot toward Pokrovsk. "The Ukrainian defense of Pokrovsk and its approaches (namely the rail line and the M-30 highway) has already stymied Russian advances towards the city, and attrition of Russian forces in the area will likely further slow these advances, damaging Russian offensive prospects in the area in the coming weeks," the ISW concludes. In February of this year, the Russian army captured the city of Avdiivka near Donetsk. Over more than six months, Russia has taken over a dozen villages to the west and northwest of Donetsk, the city of Vuhledar, and is approaching the regional center — Pokrovsk. According to ISW maps, Russian troops have been actively advancing in the Pokrovsk and Vuhledar areas in the past day. Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match. The current head to head record for the teams are Kryvbas 1 win(s), Liviy Bereh 0 win(s), and 0 draw(s). Have scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't scored in their last 2 matches Haven't kept a clean sheet in 6 matches Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Kryvbas 1 win(s) 16 Apr 2025 11:45:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Shakhtar Donetsk won 2–1 over Kryvbas on Wed The current head to head record for the teams are Kryvbas 0 win(s) Have scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches Shakhtar Donetsk haven't lost to Kryvbas in their last 5 meetings (3W, 2D). 16 Apr 2025 11:45:00 GMT?Shakhtar Donetsk won 2–1 over Kryvbas on Wed 16 Apr 2025 11:45:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 2 goals in their last 5 matches Shakhtar Donetsk haven't lost to Kryvbas in their last 5 meetings (3W Kryvbas is playing home against Shakhtar Donetsk at Hirnyk Stadium on Wed Вы используете блокировщик рекламы в вашем браузере В этом случае Вы не сможете пользоваться всеми функциональными возможностями нашего сайта и его отдельными страницами который мы используем для отображения видеоконтента активированный блокировщик рекламы может вызывать проблемы с загрузкой сайта и корректным его отображением чтобы получить возможность использовать наш сайт в полной мере внесите Dynamo.kiev.ua в «белый список» вашего блокировщика что любые попытки обсуждения этого и других решений редакции сайта немедленно влекут за собой ограничение по п.2.9 правил сайта In just over an hour, the starting whistle will blow in Kryvyi Rih at the “Hirnyk” stadium in the match of the 24th round of the Ukrainian Championship between the local “Kryvbass” and Kyiv’s “Dynamo” the starting lineups of the teams for this match became known 22.Kabaev — 11.Vanat.Substitutes: 51.Morhun “Kryvbass”: 33.Klishchuk Online broadcast of the match “Kryvbass” — “Dynamo” >>> Стать участником фан-зоны Нажимая на кнопку, вы соглашаетесь с условиями членства в фан-зоне конвертировать карму в шурики Устанавливайте наше приложение и всегда оставайтесь в курсе футбольных новостей