Russia accelerates in the east, threatens Kyiv with new missiles

Russian troops are advancing rapidly in eastern Ukraine while Kyiv is losing ground to Moscow's counter-offensives at Kursk.

Russia advances rapidly in eastern Ukraine

The war monitoring website Deep State reported on November 23 that Russian forces are advancing near five settlements in Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine, including Velyka Novosilka, Rozdolne, Maksymivka, Pustynka, and Toretsk.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said on November 22 that it had taken control of the village of Novodmytrivka, north of the strategic town of Kurakhove. This is the latest achievement in Russia's rapid advance, according to Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. Mr. Belousov visited a command base in Ukraine and awarded medals to soldiers.

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In a statement late on November 22, the Ukrainian General Staff said Novodmytrivka was one of eight villages that Russian forces were trying to take control of. Kyiv said the 1,000-kilometer Kurakhove front was in a state of intense fighting.

Reuters, citing open-source data, said Russia holds nearly 20% of Ukraine’s territory and has advanced in Donetsk in the past two months at its fastest pace since March 2022. In Kurakhove, a Ukrainian military source told Reuters that Russian forces were advancing 200-300 meters per day and had already broken through some areas.

Ukrainian servicemen fight at the front line near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk on November 19.

Moscow forces are closing in on Kurakhove and the northern town of Pokrovsk, which is vital for supplying coking coal to Ukraine’s steel industry. Further north, Russian forces are also said to have advanced closer to the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv province.

Russia has about 575,000 troops fighting in Ukraine and plans to increase that to about 690,000, sources said. Moscow has not commented on the information.

Ukrainian tanks during exercises on November 22 in Chernihiv province

Russia threatens Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 22 that Russia will continue to launch Oreshnik hypersonic missiles into Ukraine and has enough stock to use. The statement was made after Russia launched this new medium-range ballistic missile into Ukraine for the first time.

President Putin said the first use of the Oreshnik was successful and that more tests would follow, according to Reuters. "We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats created for Russia," the leader told military officials in a televised meeting.

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President Putin also said that the missile that Russia launched into Ukraine was equipped with a conventional warhead, not a nuclear warhead. The leader declared that this missile could not be stopped and emphasized that Russia would continue testing this new weapon and would mass produce it.

The intermediate-range missile has a range of 3,000-5,500 km, allowing Russia to strike anywhere in Europe and the western United States. The Kremlin said the launch of the Oreshnik was a warning to the West against further reckless actions and decisions in support of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting with military officials on November 22.

Ukraine loses ground at Kursk

A senior Ukrainian military source told Reuters on November 23 that Kyiv had lost more than 40 percent of the territory it had gained in Russia's Kursk province after launching a surprise offensive in the region in early August.

At one point, Ukraine controlled 1,376 ^square kilometers but now only holds approximately 800 ^square kilometers. "The territory is shrinking. The enemy is intensifying its counterattacks," the source said, declaring that Ukraine will try to maintain control of the area as long as necessary.

Ukraine’s offensive in Kursk has caught Russia by surprise. Ukraine wants to use the operation to reduce Russian pressure in the east and gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks. Russia has deployed about 59,000 troops in Kursk, according to the source.

Rumors that Mr. Putin is ready to talk with Mr. Trump about peace conditions in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General meets Mr. Trump

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with US President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida on November 22. NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said on November 23 that the two discussed many global security issues facing the alliance.

Mr. Rutte also met with Congressman Mike Waltz, who was chosen by Mr. Trump to be his next National Security Advisor, and members of the US President-elect's security team.

Mr. Rutte, a former Dutch Prime Minister, is considered one of the most notable European leaders in building an effective working relationship with Mr. Trump during his first term.

Relations between the US and NATO allies in Europe during Mr Trump's previous term were not smooth, when the US leader criticized Europe for not sharing the common defense burden.

Mr Trump has vowed to end the conflict in Ukraine soon, raising concerns in Europe that he could cut off aid to Kyiv. NATO allies say maintaining Ukraine’s capabilities is vital to both US and European security.

"I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats together," Rutte said of rivals such as Russia, Iran and North Korea at a recent conference.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-1004-nga-tang-toc-tai-mien-dong-doa-kyiv-voi-ten-lua-moi-185241123083945434.htm