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Ukraine has mounted a fierce defence of Pokrovsk for the 5th consecutive week since Russia’s concerted violative began to instrumentality its eastbound city, portion astatine the aforesaid clip it tries to finesse a Russian-inspired United States bid program heavy criticised by US lawmakers.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said connected Monday its “assault groups of the 2nd Army person wholly liberated the Gornyak and Shakhtersky microdistricts successful Pokrovsk.
On Tuesday, it said its forces were warring successful the Vostochny and Zapadny districts of Myrnohrad, to the eastbound of Pokrovsk.
Both cities, successful Ukraine’s Donetsk region, prevarication wrong an envelope which Russian forces person gradually tried to seal shut. Supplies and reinforcements tin presently lone scope Ukrainian forces from the westbound – and Russia claims to person effectual occurrence power implicit those proviso routes.
Ukrainian officials insisted the defence of Pokrovsk was inactive precise overmuch a contest. “Our positions are held successful the centre of Pokrovsk, shooting battles continue, and the force fails to consolidate,” said Ukraine’s caput of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko connected Sunday, citing the 7th Air Assault Brigade warring there.
Ukraine has evidently strained its resources to support the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad enclave, whereas the attraction of Russian violative forces successful Pokrovsk has not compromised their quality to battle elsewhere.
During November 20-27, Russia claimed to person seized Petropavlovka successful Kharkiv, Novoselivka, Maslyakovka, Yampol, Stavki, Zvanovka, Petrovskoye, Ivanopolye and Vasyukovka successful Donetsk, Tikhoye and Otradnoye successful Dniperopetrovsk, and Novoye Zaporozhiye and Zatishye successful Zaporizhia.
The Russian forces’ caller complaint of beforehand has amounted to astir fractional a twelve villages a week.
(Al Jazeera)
(Al Jazeera)But Ukraine disputes immoderate of Russia’s claims.
On November 20, Russian main of unit Valery Gerasimov said his forces had seized the metropolis of Kupiansk successful Ukraine’s bluish Kharkiv region, and were mounting upon retreating Ukrainian units connected the near slope of the Oskil River.
But Kovalenko replied connected the Telegram messaging service: “Russia did NOT inhabit Kupiansk. Gerasimov is conscionable a liar,” and helium repeated the assertion a week later.
Ukraine has besides had successes connected the ground, according to its commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskii. “Despite force pressure, the Defence Forces of Ukraine managed to transportation retired counteroffensive actions successful the Dobropillia absorption from the extremity of August to October this year,” helium said, referring to a failed Russian flanking manoeuvre towards a municipality northwest of Pokrovsk.
“As a result, the units divided the enemy’s violative radical and liberated implicit 430 quadrate kilometres [166 quadrate miles] northbound of Pokrovsk. Russian losses amounted to much than 13,000 killed and wounded.”
Russia besides kept up unit connected Ukraine’s rear, launching 1,169 drones and 25 missiles astatine its cities during the week of November 20-26. Ukraine downed 85 percent of the drones and 14 of the missiles, but Zelenskyy called for much short- and medium-range defences.
(Al Jazeera)Questionable diplomacy
Europe, Ukraine and members of the US Congress person each pushed backmost against a 28-point bid plan presented by the US medication of Donald Trump past week, describing it arsenic excessively Russia-friendly.
In its archetypal form, the program granted cardinal points that Russia has demanded. That included a committedness from Ukraine ne'er to articulation NATO and the surrendering of astir each the territory Russia has taken by force, on with the unoccupied remainder of Donetsk. The US and Ukraine’s different Western allies would person to recognise those annexations arsenic legal.
Ukraine would person to clasp an predetermination wrong 100 days of the plan’s signature – 1 that Russia seems to judge would unseat Zelenskyy.
Russia has besides demanded that Ukraine efficaciously disarm. The 28-point program suggests reducing its equipped forces by astir a third, to 600,000 personnel.
“Right present is 1 of the hardest moments successful our history,” Zelenskyy told the Ukrainian radical aft seeing the plan, describing it arsenic a prime betwixt “either the nonaccomplishment of our dignity oregon the hazard of losing a cardinal partner”.
The Republican president of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator Roger Wicker said successful a statement: “This alleged ‘peace plan’ has existent problems, and I americium highly skeptical it volition execute peace.”
Polish Premier Donald Tusk politely said connected societal media: “It would beryllium bully to cognize for definite who is the writer of the program and wherever was it created.”
The program drew heavy from a Russian non-paper submitted to the White House successful October, said the Reuters quality agency.
“Trump’s 28-point plan, which we have, enshrines the cardinal understandings reached during the Alaska summit,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.
“I would accidental not all, but galore provisions of this plan, they look rather acceptable to us,” Putin adjutant Yury Ushakov told the TASS Russian authorities quality agency.
The United Kingdom, France and Germany drafted a counter-proposal connected Sunday, and a Ukrainian delegation led by erstwhile Defence Minister Rustem Umerov met with US negotiators nether Secretary of State Marco Rubio successful Geneva to sermon some documents.
Europe ruled retired accepting territorial exchanges resulting from aggression, and suggested territorial negotiations statesman from the enactment of interaction without anterior Ukrainian concessions. It besides suggested Ukraine support a beardown service of nary less than 800,000 people, and person an effectual NATO information guarantee.
Their associated connection connected Monday simply said they would “continue intensive work”, with last decisions to beryllium made by Trump and Zelenskyy.
Much had been done to refine the archetypal 28 points into a workable agreement, said Zelenskyy. “Now the database of indispensable steps to extremity the warfare tin go doable,” helium told Ukrainians somewhat cryptically, describing the enactment that remained arsenic “very challenging”.
Ukraine has pushed for a gathering betwixt Zelenskyy and Trump earlier December to thrash retired the plan’s last form, but connected Tuesday, Bloomberg released transcripts of a leaked telephone speech betwixt Trump confidant Steve Witkoff and Putin adjutant Yury Ushakov, successful which Witkoff advised Ushakov to person Putin telephone Trump earlier Zelenskyy had a accidental to conscionable him. Witkoff suggested that Putin flatter Trump arsenic a peacemaker to triumph his favour and signifier the bid program straight with him.
That leak prompted absorption to Witkoff travelling to Moscow adjacent week to sermon the reworked program with Russian officials. The White House said helium is to regenerate General Keith Kellogg, who resigned arsenic mediator for Ukraine aft seeing the archetypal 28-point plan.
“It is wide that Witkoff afloat favors the Russians. He cannot beryllium trusted to pb these negotiations. Would a Russian paid cause bash little than he?” wrote Republican Congressman Don Bacon connected societal media.
For those who reason the Russian penetration and privation to spot Ukraine prevail arsenic a sovereign & antiauthoritarian country, it is wide that Witkoff afloat favors the Russians. He cannot beryllium trusted to pb these negotiations. Would a Russian paid cause bash little than he? He should beryllium fired. https://t.co/dxMsda0YV5
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) November 25, 2025
In his archetypal extended remarks connected the bid proposal, successful Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan connected Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin backed distant from an statement with Ukraine, saying, “Signing documents with the Ukrainian enactment is pointless,” due to the fact that Zelenskyy was a president who had outlived his mandate.
“I judge that the Ukrainian authorities made a cardinal and strategical mistake erstwhile they succumbed to the fearfulness of participating successful the statesmanlike elections,” helium said, referring to the outpouring of 2025, erstwhile Zelenskyy’s four-year word expired.
Zelenskyy was elected successful 2019, and the parliament has doubly extended his tenure nether the law proviso of a nationalist emergency.
Putin said the 28 points did not magnitude to a bid treaty, calling them “a acceptable of questions that were projected for treatment and last wording”.
“In general, we hold that this tin beryllium the ground for aboriginal agreements,” Putin said.
(Al Jazeera)
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