Russian Forces Reportedly Have Largest Regional Gain Week of 2024

Russian forces They captured more than 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) last week, capturing more territory in eastern Ukraine than at any other time in 2024. Bloomberg.

The latest gains add to Russia’s summer offensive advance, which has totaled 1,146 square kilometers (442 square miles) since Aug. 6, according to DeepState map data analyzed by Bloomberg Intelligence; This is a 25% increase compared to the first half of the year.

Despite this momentum, Russia’s advances are accelerating, and Russia is far from establishing control over the four Ukrainian regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin has his sights set on. But at a time when the United States is focused on the upcoming presidential election and European allies are wary of escalating the conflict, Putin’s forces are using this moment to advance on the battlefield.

Republican candidate Donald Embers He expressed skepticism about expanding U.S. support for Ukraine, expressing a desire to quickly end the war if elected.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that only 10% of the $61 billion US aid package promised in April had been received and that the delays were attributed to bureaucracy. It continues to pressure the United States for the authorization and supply of long-range weapons to hit targets in Russia, but this request has not yet been accepted.

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North Korea Declares It Will Support Russia Until ‘Victory’ in Ukraine

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was in Moscow because the West believes up to 10,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia and are on the verge of entering the more than two-year conflict on Russia’s side.

Meanwhile, NATO allies are reportedly hesitant to provide additional support, citing concerns about rising tensions with Russia. Western officials say they see little sign that Moscow is interested in negotiations because Ukrainian forces maintain a presence in Russia’s Kursk region. This surprise attack, launched in August, was intended to force Russia to divert some of its troops from the eastern front; but Russia has not changed its focus so far.

Russian troops reportedly captured the town of Selydove and set their sights on Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, both important logistics centers for Ukrainian defense in the Donetsk region. Capturing these cities would be an important step towards Russia’s goal of controlling the industrial regions of eastern Ukraine.

Uncertainty remains over actual control of Selydove amid Russian claims

Despite Russia’s claims on 30 October that it had completely captured Selydove and many surrounding settlements, the situation remains unstable and uncertain.

A source from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) he told the TelegraphA Ukrainian media outlet reported that Ukrainian soldiers continue to maintain defensive positions. “There is still an opportunity to defend, so we are staying in Selydove,” the source said. “They push us out, and we retreat. Then we push them out and they retreat.”

The General Staff’s summary on the morning of 1 November did not refer to the situation near Selydove; This probably signaled a pause in information due to ongoing dynamic developments.

Although Ukrainian analysts from DeepState reported the occupation of Selydove on October 30, the General Staff has not yet confirmed this. According to the Telegraf, the situation is still fluid due to ongoing clashes and frequent changes of control in certain parts of the city.

As Russia gains power, Ukraine faces manpower shortages and pressure grows to open peace talks

Ukrainian forces face increasing challenges as Russia bolsters its troops in the Kursk region, now potentially joined by thousands of North Korean troops, according to a report by U.S. and South Korean officials.

Defense analyst Konrad Muzyka points out that although Ukraine has strengthened its defenses, limited manpower remains a vulnerability.

According to Bloomberg, analysts attribute Russia’s recent successes to its numerical superiority and greater quantity of artillery ammunition. But experts including Alex Kokcharov and Ben Barry of the International Institute for Strategic Studies warn that these local gains do not signal a shift in the overall balance of the war, which remains a protracted conflict of attrition.

Some Kremlin insiders, such as political consultant Sergei Markov, think Putin could resume peace talks if Russian forces reach Russia’s administrative border. Donetsk area. Meanwhile, Evgeny Buzhinsky, a former top official at the Russian Defense Ministry, said Ukraine’s defenses continue to hold out with no signs of mass surrender or chaotic retreat.