Russia said on Friday that its forces had taken control of six more settlements in the Donetsk region, while Ukraine reported on the same day that over 100 battles had taken place along the frontlines and its forces had inflicted significant losses on Russian troops and equipment.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its forces had captured six settlements in Donetsk over the past week, and launched 17 massive strikes on Ukrainian military targets including missile systems and critical energy infrastructure, using long-range precision weapons such as the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones.
In addition, the Russian forces also struck a joint training center of the Ukrainian army in the city of Poltava, where Ukrainian electronic warfare specialists and drone operators were reportedly being trained by foreign instructors, the ministry said.
In the Kursk region, the ministry said its forces had successfully repelled Ukrainian advances, with Ukrainian forces reportedly losing over 300 personnel and 12 armored vehicles in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 102 combat engagements along the frontlines by Friday afternoon, with the situation in areas such as Kurakhove and Pokrovsk remaining tense.
Ukrainian forces were actively disrupting Russian plans, inflicting heavy losses on Russian personnel and equipment. Fighting in some areas continued unabated, it said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukrainian forces had been conducting operations in Kursk for a month, resulting in 6,000 Russian military casualties.
He also said that Ukraine now controls over 1,300 square kilometers of Kursk's territory and more than 100 settlements in the area.
Also on Friday, Zelensky attended a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting led by Western countries in Germany. During his talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Zelensky once again called for approval to use long-range strike capability within Russia.
Austin, however, did not endorse the request, stressing that the use of donated U.S. weapons for long-range strikes into Russia would not turn the tide of the war.
Austin announced another security assistance package worth 250 million U.S. dollars for Ukraine, and highlighted the support from the United States and its allies for Ukraine's air force over the past year, including the provision of F-16 fighter jets and pilot training programs.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022. The United States and other NATO members have provided significant military assistance to Ukraine since then.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. military support for Ukraine has exceeded 55.7 billion dollars, with the sophistication, range and destructive power of the supplied weapons gradually increasing, along with a gradual easing of restrictions on their use.
Russia has repeatedly criticized Western military support for Ukraine, accusing the United States and its allies of "adding fuel to the fire" and arguing that such assistance won't help resolve the conflict.
Russia claims control of six more settlements in Donetsk, Ukraine reports tense fighting in frontlines
Russia claims control of six more settlements in Donetsk, Ukraine reports tense fighting in frontlines
