Russia persists in pushing forward towards the strategically vital urban center of Pokrovsk, situated in eastern Ukraine.
As per the Russian Defense Ministry's declaration, both Mykolajiwka in the Donetsk district and Stelmachiwka in the adjacent Luhansk region have fallen under Russian control. Russian forces have been strategically progressing towards Pokrovsk, a significant logistics hub, asserting captures of various settlements en route.
In his evening speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the situation near Pokrovsk as highly challenging. He explained that the majority of Russian forces are mainly concentrated in this area. As per Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky, continuous fights are occurring in a succession of villages in the region.
Simultaneously, Russia persisted with its aerial assaults on Ukraine. As per Ukrainian sources, 74 attack drones and five missiles hit multiple locations across the country, with the majority of projectiles being intercepted by defense systems.
Journalists from the AFP news agency documented air raid warnings and at least one explosion in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Several residential properties were reportedly damaged, but no casualties or injuries were initially reported. Ukraine had suffered a massive barrage of rocket and drone attacks on Monday and Tuesday evenings, leading to energy facility destruction and loss of lives.
On Thursday, regional authorities in Nikopol, southeastern Ukraine, reported one fatality and five injuries due to shelling. "A shopping center, tall buildings, residential structures, vehicles, and a gas pipeline were damaged," stated regional governor Serhiy Lysak in online media. In the central Ukrainian city of Cherkassy, aerial strikes sparked a fire covering approximately 3,000 square kilometers.
Russian authorities reported a casualty from Ukrainian drone attacks in the Belgorod border region. According to Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on the Telegram messaging service, Shebekino was attacked by Ukrainian forces. One person was killed, and two others were injured due to shrapnel.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that it had downed a drone over the Belgorod region at night. Furthermore, two drones were intercepted over the Russian border region of Bryansk, and three more were shot down over the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
The Belgorod border region is frequently targeted by Ukrainian aerial and drone strikes. Since August 6, the neighboring Kursk region has served as the site of the most significant Ukrainian offensive since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, with numerous settlements reportedly seized.
In an interview with the German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Oleksii Makeiev stated that the Ukrainian advance into Kursk had "altered perception significantly." The Ukraine had demonstrated to the world that Russia could be defeated "if one recognizes its weaknesses and exploits them." However, Kyiv now required "much more courage from our allies."
In Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the military aid provided by European allies following the latest Russian air strikes, describing it as inadequate. He emphasized the presence of "inordinately long" delays between announcements and deliveries, particularly for Patriot systems, during a meeting on the sidelines of an informal EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Kuleba also urged Europeans to pressurize the US and UK to lift restrictions on the usage of weapons offered to Russia. Washington and London should allow Ukraine to "legitimately target military targets deeply within Russia," Kuleba demanded. So far, this had only been granted for Ukraine in the Kharkiv region.
The following events were highlighted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: the challenging situation near Pokrovsk and the majority of Russian forces being concentrated in that area. According to Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky, continuous fights are occurring in various villages in the region.
