The so-called Donetsk People’s Republic has said that its forces have taken an important Ukrainian position in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
The images begin by showing drone footage of what appears to be the frontlines, with subsequent images reportedly showing Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) armoured vehicles advancing on Ukrainian positions.
The footage, filmed from above by a drone, then shows what appear to be the Ukrainian trenches that the DPR claims to have captured, with subsequent footage apparently filmed by a DPR soldier allegedly showing the captured military position.
The images were obtained from the People’s Militia of the DPR on Thursday, 17th November, along with a statement claiming: “The 100th brigade captured an important stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Developing the offensive in the direction of the village of Nevelskoye, soldiers of the 100th separate guards motorized rifle brigade stormed the important stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. […]”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 271st day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 21st November, Russia had lost about 84,600 personnel, 2,892 tanks, 5,822 armoured combat vehicles, 1,870 artillery units, 393 multiple launch rocket systems, 209 air defence systems, 278 warplanes, 261 helicopters, 1,537 drones, 480 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,378 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 161 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russian forces launched nearly 400 strikes in eastern Ukraine as part of a new artillery offensive on Sunday, according to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky said: “The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there were fewer attacks today due to worsening weather, the amount of Russian shelling unfortunately remains extremely high.”
Zelensky added: “In the Luhansk region, we are slowly moving forward while fighting. As of now, there have been almost 400 artillery attacks in the east since the start of the day.”
Russia has reassigned troops that were in Kherson in southern Ukraine to the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, is set on Monday to assess potential damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – after renewed shelling.
The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that the forces responsible for the shelling were “playing with fire”.
Germany has offered Poland Patriot missile defence systems to help protect its airspace after a missile hit the NATO member last week.
Christine Lambrecht, Germany’s Minister of Defence, said: “We have offered Poland support in securing airspace – with our Eurofighters and with Patriot air defence systems.”
Mykhaylo Podolyak, a key adviser to the Ukrainian president, has said that negotiations with Russia would amount to “capitulation”.
Podolyak labelled Western attempts to urge Ukraine to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “bizarre” as Ukrainian forces have recently won a number of victories on the battlefield.
He said it would be like saying that the country “that recovers its territories must capitulate to the country that is losing”.
