Russia takes control of more residential areas in eastern Ukraine

Reuters reported that according to the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 1, the country's forces have controlled two residential areas of Ilinka and Petrivka in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine.

The ministry also said Russian air defenses had shot down 55 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours.

According to the ministry, in the fall of 2024, the Russian military took control of 88 more settlements in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), as well as in the Zaporizhia, Kursk and Kharkov provinces.

Kursk and Kharkov provinces remain areas of intense fighting, where Russian troops are conducting operations to stop enemy attacks.

Experts note that the significant number of “liberated” settlements clearly shows the intensity of the fighting on several fronts. The focus is on strategic facilities and important transport hubs that provide logistical support to the Ukrainian army.

Russian troops now control nearly 20% of Ukraine’s territory. According to open source data, the pace of Russian advances in the Donetsk region over the past two months has been the fastest since March 2022.

Russian forces are closing in on Kurakhove and the town of Pokrovsk - home to the only coking coal mine that supplies Ukraine's steel industry.