Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Russia is trying to get a breakthrough before winter really sets in, but they are paying a high price.
A tense standoff is unfolding across eastern and southern Ukraine, as Russian forces intensify efforts to seize ground before winter slows the fighting.
Ukrainian commanders say pressure is mounting on multiple sectors, forcing them to stretch already-thin defensive lines.
At the same time, Kyiv insists its counterstrikes are inflicting severe losses, slowing Moscow’s advance even in areas where Russian units have made quick gains.
The situation in the South
Russian troops have increased attacks across the south, according to Ukrainian military commentators, taking advantage of exposed areas along Kyiv’s defensive network.
One Ukrainian blogger claimed that Russian units had “advanced on the right flank towards Zaporizhzhia, bypassing the entire southern defence line through the Dnipropetrovsk region.”
The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based research centre, also reported territorial gains, pointing to verified footage showing Russian flags raised in Yablukove, northeast of Hulyaipole.
Analysts said the images suggested Moscow’s forces had likely taken the settlement.
Ukraine’s Southern Army said it responded with sustained strikes, reporting heavy Russian casualties and significant equipment losses.
In a statement on its Telegram channel posted november 17, the command wrote: “Over the past day, the Southern Defence Forces destroyed more than 300 occupiers and over 50 units of enemy military equipment, including hitting the Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile system.”
Counterattacks at night
Ukrainian officials added that their air-defence teams shot down “26 Shahed-136 UAVs” during a night-time barrage and dismantled nine Russian drone-operator groups across the region.
They said these operations helped to stabilise parts of the front where Russian pressure had been intensifying.
Despite those successes, Kyiv’s forces remain under strain as Russian commanders push to widen their foothold in Zaporizhzhia.
Analysts say Moscow is trying to generate momentum before winter conditions limit mobility and drone activity.
Battle for Pokrovsk
Further east, the fight for Pokrovsk continues to dominate attention. The frontline city, a vital transit hub for Ukraine’s military operations in Donetsk, has endured nearly two years of Russian attacks and now faces the prospect of encirclement.
Ukrainian officials have deployed additional special-forces units to reinforce the area, insisting they are still contesting ground.
The General Staff said its troops were conducting “active offensive operations in the Ocheretyne direction,” which includes the Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Dobropillia sectors.
Heavy toll recorded
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian units inflicted steep losses on Russian forces earlier in the week, reporting “755 occupiers neutralised” along with the destruction or damage of tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and other equipment.
The military added that, since August 21, Russian casualties in the Ocheretyne sector had reached “approximately 19,270 Russian personnel and 1,493 pieces of weaponry and military equipment.”
Officials also reported the destruction of more than 5,770 Russian drones throughout the broader operation.
By mid-November, they said, Ukrainian forces had reclaimed 189 square kilometres and fully cleared 259.4 square kilometres of the Pokrovsk district of Russian sabotage groups.
Sources: ISW, Ukrainian military statements, Express
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation
