In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia has deployed approximately 170,000 troops to Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, focusing its efforts on capturing the strategic stronghold of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in Pokrovsk as “difficult” during a media briefing in Kyiv on Friday. While acknowledging that some Russian units have infiltrated the city, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian forces are systematically eliminating them to preserve personnel. This comes amid Russia’s broader push for a battlefield victory, despite slow and costly progress in terms of troops and equipment. Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently claimed significant advances, though these assertions remain unverified. Meanwhile, Ukraine has retaliated by targeting Russian oil facilities, disrupting military logistics and domestic markets. Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, reported over 160 successful long-range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure this year, leading to a 20% drop in domestic oil products and temporarily halting 37% of Russia’s refining capacity. Additionally, Ukraine has destroyed nearly half of Russia’s advanced Pantsir air defense systems and one of its hypersonic missiles, the Oreshnik, which Putin had previously touted as invulnerable. On the humanitarian front, Russian drone strikes have caused significant civilian casualties, with a 30% increase reported this year. The UN has expressed concern over Russia’s near-daily attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, warning of a potential humanitarian crisis as winter approaches. Despite international peace efforts, the conflict shows no signs of abating, with funding for humanitarian operations dwindling from $4 billion in 2022 to $1.1 billion this year.
Russia deploys 170,000 troops for push in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Zelenskyy says
