**Russia Advances in Ukraine at Fastest Rate Since 2022**
Russian forces have taken almost 235 square kilometers of land from Ukraine in just one week. This is the fastest territorial gain they’ve made since the invasion began in 2022.
According to Russian news group Agentstvo, the army has set a new record for occupied territory in Ukraine this year. They’ve also captured around 667 square kilometers this month.
The main area of advance is Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces are pushing towards the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. If they breach Ukrainian defenses around Kurakhove, they could move westward towards Zaporizhzhia while securing their rear.
**Ukraine Struggles to Hold Back Russia**
Ukrainian military officials say the situation in the east is the most challenging this year. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blames delays in equipping brigades, partly due to US Congress delaying military assistance packages.
Russian forces have captured 574 square kilometers since November 1, averaging around 22 square kilometers per day. This rate is much slower than when Russia first invaded Ukraine in March 2022.
**War Enters Most Dangerous Phase**
The war is entering a potentially most dangerous phase, with reports of North Korean troops possibly being involved and Ukraine using Western-supplied missiles to strike targets inside Russia.
Currently, Russia controls around 18% of Ukraine’s territory, including all of Crimea, over 80% of Donbas, and more than 70% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
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