The Ukrainian military said on Sunday that Russian troops had sharply stepped up their attacks in eastern Ukraine, as a NATO official predicted Moscow would increase the pace and intensity of its assaults alongside talks to end the war.
Kyiv, the capital city, said the main attacks were concentrated near the imperilled logistics hub of Pokrovsk, with officials from the United States and Russia expected to hold talks in the coming days in Saudi Arabia.
Kyiv’s military reported 261 combat engagements with Russia over a 24-hour period on Saturday—the largest number recorded this year and more than double the roughly 100 per day it had reported in previous days.
According to Ukrainian military data, Moscow’s troops advanced steadily in the east for much of the second half of 2024.
It was gathered that Russian forces had seized a swathe of territory to the south of Pokrovsk and were now pushing upwards to its southwest, threatening a main supply route into the outpost.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite being on the back foot, reported a good result in the east on Thursday, and a military spokesman said Kyiv’s forces had recaptured the village of Pishchane, about 5 km south of Pokrovsk.
“It isn’t so much the result of something collapsing for the Russians or some kind of magical weapon being delivered to Ukraine, no. Certain organisational actions were taken to help Ukrainians act more effectively,” said military spokesman Viktor Trehubov.
