Clashes were reported along much of the frontline in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces continue to make gains amid speculation over the Kremlin’s strategy.
Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said on December 24 that by mid-morning some 235 clashes had been recorded at the front since the start of the previous day, with intense fighting in the direction of Kharkhiv, Donetsk, and Kupyansk.
It added that Russia lost over 1,600 soldiers and 30 armored vehicles during the period, though the claim could not be independently verified. Moscow rarely comments on its losses in the war.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report on December 24 that Russia’s priorities in the current fighting remain unclear as troops make incremental advances south and southwest of of the key city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
“It remains unclear if Russian forces will be able to exploit these gains to envelop the town or if they intend to advance to the administrative boundary of Donetsk region,” the ISW said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow is nearing its primary goal in the war, though he didn’t elaborate.
Ever since Ukraine’s counteroffensive to drive out invading Russian forces culminated with little success in October 2023, Russian troops have slowly pushed westward, capturing the Donetsk city of Avdiyivka and then the town of Vuldehar. Russia currently controls about 60 percent of Donetsk.
Now, reportedly just a few kilometers from the edge of town, Russian troops could be on the verge of taking Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub near the current front line.
Pokrovsk is strategically significant because it serves as a major transportation hub, is close to the front lines, and serves as a supply hub for military operations in the Donbas region.
Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has ratcheted up in recent weeks, with Moscow launching waves of drones and missiles across Ukrainian territory, mainly aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure.
Kyiv has countered with attacks on Russian oil and energy targets just inside Russian territory and over the weekend struck high-rise buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s oil-rich republic of Tatarstan.
Last week Putin dangled the prospect of Russian concessions before audiences in Washington and the West, saying more than once during his annual question-and-answer conference that Russia was ready for a compromise.
But he attached numerous conditions to the idea of compromise, suggesting Moscow’s goal of subjugating Ukraine and winning major security guarantees from NATO and the West remain in place, as well as saying he does not consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a legitimate leader.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump – whose inauguration is set for January 20 – has said he would move to end the war quickly and during his remarks at Turning Point’s America Fest convention on December 22, said, “We have to end that war. That war is horrible, horrible.”