On August 6, 2024, Ukraine launched a large-scale offensive against Russia's Kursk region, and reports suggest that North Korean troops joined the Russian forces in the Kursk area, resulting in casualties.
Currently, more and more reports indicate that North Korean troops are engaged in combat in Russia.
By mid-October, the combat situation between Russian and Ukrainian forces was as follows:
As we reach the end of December, by December 30
Kursk situation map
From the above image, it is clear that:
The Russian military has made significant territorial gains in the western and northwestern parts of Kursk region;
In the northern area, they are primarily engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces in the northeastern part of Kursk;
On the southeastern front, Russia has also made considerable territorial gains over the past month;
Ukraine currently mainly controls the eastern and southeastern fronts of Kursk, but compared to previous months, the areas occupied have significantly decreased.
Reports indicate that Chechen Akhmat Spetsnaz troops are active near Sudzha (eastern Kursk), and members of the Russian 83rd VDV Brigade are reportedly active in the Korenevsky Raion.
Given the current situation, there will likely be significant military standoffs between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the short term, but the Russian military has clearly gained an advantage in the Kursk region compared to previous months. This has effectively constrained Ukrainian troop strength.
On February 24, 2022, Russia announced a special military operation against Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia entered a state of war. The war in Ukraine has now entered its third year.
Today is Thursday, and as of November 7, Beijing time, the war in Ukraine has reached 987 days. Let’s take a look at the latest developments in the war in Ukraine.
Details of the combat situation
Kharkiv Oblast
On November 5 and 6, Russian forces continued limited offensive operations near Vovchansk and Starytsia in northeastern Kharkiv, but made no advances.
Ukrainian Kharkiv forces spokesperson Colonel Yevhenii Romanov stated that from November 3 to 5, the weather conditions in northern Kharkiv worsened, leading to a one-third reduction in daily combat, with a significant decrease in the use of Russian drones and equipment, prompting Russian forces to prepare for winter.
02 Luhansk Oblast
On November 6, Russian forces recently advanced southeast of Kupiansk and west of Svatove, continuing their offensive along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna front. Geolocated footage released on November 6 showed Russian forces advancing west of Kolisnykivka (southeast of Kupiansk), crossing fields and entering the northeastern part of Pershotravneve (west of Svatove).
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground attacks near Bilohorivka in the northeast of Siversk on November 5 and 6.
On November 6, Russian forces continued their offensive in the direction of Chervonohryhorivka but made no confirmed advances.
On November 6, Russian forces continued their offensive operations in the direction of Torske, but no confirmed progress was reported. Russian forces attacked near Torske; around Dylivka north of Torske; and on November 5 and 6, attacked areas west of Torske near Shcherbynivka.
On November 6, in the area of ongoing offensive operations, Russian forces recently advanced in the direction of Pokrovsk.
On November 6, during the ongoing offensive operations in the area, Russian forces recently advanced towards Kurakhove.
04 Zaporizhzhia Oblast
On November 6, Russian forces continued their offensive in the western part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast but made no advances. On November 6, Russian military bloggers continued to claim that Russian forces had recently advanced 1.5 kilometers along the windbreak west of Nesteryanka (northwest of Robotyne), while another military blogger claimed that Russian troops advanced about two kilometers towards Orikhiv, possibly referring to the same area.
Kherson Oblast
On November 5 and 6, Russian forces continued ground attacks in the direction of the Dnipro River, including near the islands in the Dnipro Delta, but made no advances.
PART02 Overall Situation
Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory. The Ukrainian president stated that he welcomed Trump’s idea of “achieving peace through strength,” believing it would benefit the United States and other countries around the world. During the campaign, Trump threatened to withdraw U.S. commitments to NATO and possibly end support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Donald Trump on his “historic election victory,” stating, “As closest allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defending our shared values of freedom, democracy, and enterprise.”
Western leaders rushed to respond to Donald Trump’s return to the White House, granting him a strong mandate to implement “America First” policies again. However, many public congratulations could not mask private concerns about the ominous implications for European security, populism, and the global economy over the next four years.
8:50:18
Russian forces have broken through to the important Pokrovsk-Konstantynivka highway.
8:56:06
The Ukrainian presidential office persuaded former commander Zaluzhnyi not to run for president, allowing Zelensky to seek re-election.
9:04:31
The White House: The U.S. welcomes Kyiv's decision to stop supplying Russian natural gas to Europe, viewing it as a “significant blow” to Moscow's economic capacity.
9:17:43
Russian forces captured Makhnoivka in southern Kursk.
10:14:59
Russian Ministry of Defense: Kyiv lost 1,460 soldiers in the past day.
10:20:03
Georgian opposition defends former president Zurabishvili's employment at the U.S. McCain Institute as “utilizing her experience to guide her country towards new elections and democratic development.”
10:25:43
The Pentagon stated that the Biden administration will not have time to allocate more than $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine before the end of its term.
10:31:15
Pushenichny, who shot at parishioners of a church in Cherkasy, has been nominated as a member of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's anti-corruption committee.
21:13:47
Russian forces began fighting for Suja in the Kursk region, with battles occurring in the eastern and southeastern parts of the city.
21:20:11
The Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that since February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian military registration and enlistment office has issued applications to search for over 500,000 draft evaders.
21:28:28
In France, over 66,000 companies are expected to go bankrupt in 2024, the highest number since 2009.
21:41:05
A young Ukrainian attempted to escape to Moldova in an inflatable boat. The cold lake water and low temperatures did not deter him, but he was still caught.
22:03:56
Pentagon chief Austin announced that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with an additional $500 million as part of the final military aid package of this term.
22:20:04
The Times published another report from Kyiv: a regional judge shot down “a large number of Russian suicide drones” with a machine gun manufactured in 1946 from the rooftop.
8:44:19
Russian Ministry of Defense: Ukrainian forces lost 1,480 soldiers in one day of the special military operation.
8:49:57
British Defense Secretary: The UK and allies will provide Ukraine with 30,000 new drones.
8:55:35
The “O group” is advancing on all fronts towards Pokrovsk.
9:00:44
German Ministry of Defense: Germany plans to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers by 2025.
9:06:29
NATO Secretary-General calls for “every effort” to ensure Ukraine continues military operations.
9:11:30
Battle of Kursk: Russian forces captured Bohorodchany and Makhnoivka.
21:15:59
Yemeni Houthi forces claimed to have used missiles and drones to attack the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Truman in the Red Sea.
21:34:11
Ukrainian Defense Minister: Kyiv's military strategy for 2025 prioritizes stabilizing the front lines.
21:46:46
After the liberation of Leonidivka, Russian forces advanced to New Paskoye and pushed towards the northwestern outskirts of Chervonohryhorivka.
21:57:32
European Commission President von der Leyen does not plan to attend Trump's inauguration. The European Commission stated that she was not invited.
22:03:28
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin stated that the U.S. needs to continue deploying troops in Syria to prevent ISIS from reconstituting a significant threat after the Assad government is overthrown.
22:20:04
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that there are no plans to stop the transportation of Russian oil to Europe via the Druzhba pipeline after the halt of gas transport.