- Russia launches ‘record number’ of drones overnight, Ukraine says
- Battlefield reports indicate Moscow is edging closer to the key logistics town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk
Russian forces are advancing at the fastest rate since the early months of the war, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
The respected US-based thinktank said it had geolocated footage suggesting Russian forces were moving into the town of Kurakhove in Donetsk as they advance towards the crucial logistics town of Pokrovsk.
“Russian forces recently have been advancing at a significantly quicker rate than they did in the entirety of 2023,” ISW said.
ISW also said it had confirmed gains near Vuhledar and Velyka Novosilka, also in Donetsk.
Meanwhile, analysts at Russian news group Agentstvo, using data from a group with close links to the Ukrainian army (Deep State), claimed Moscow’s forces had taken almost 235sqkm of Ukrainian territory over the past week.
That would represent a weekly record for this calendar year if confirmed.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force says nearly 200 drones were sent by Russia to attack cities and targets overnight.
“The enemy released a record number of ‘Shahed’ type attack UAVs and unmanned aerial vehicles of an unknown type from the directions,” it said.
It said it shot down 76 out of what was a “record high” of 188 drones.
The air force said it lost track of 96 drones, likely due to active electronic warfare, and five drones “headed towards Belarus”.
Four ballistic missiles were also fired, it added.
@Sky News