Russia deploys 170,000 troops in major ‘push for battlefield victory’
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has deployed approximately 170,000 troops in the eastern Donetsk region, aiming to seize the strategic stronghold of Pokrovsk.
- Zelenskyy described the situation in Pokrovsk as "difficult", confirming Russian infiltration but asserting that Ukrainian defenders are actively "weeding them out" and refuting claims of the city's encirclement.
- Ukraine's Security Service head, Vasyl Maliuk, claimed over 160 successful long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities this year, reportedly causing a 20 per cent drop in domestic oil products and halting 37 per cent of refining capacity.
- Maliuk also stated that Ukraine has destroyed nearly half of Russia’s sophisticated Pantsir air defence systems and an advanced Oreshnik hypersonic missile on the ground inside Russia.
- The UN reported a 30 per cent rise in civilian casualties this year and expressed grave concerns over Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of a colder winter, describing it as a "form of terror".