Russia makes positive factors in southern Ukraine because it expands frontline assaults

The Russian military overran three settlements within the southern Zaporizhzhia area of Ukraine, Kyiv’s high navy commander mentioned Wednesday (November 12, 2025), as Moscow’s forces develop their efforts to seize extra Ukrainian territory.

Dense fog enabled Russian troops to infiltrate Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on the messaging app Telegram, including that Ukrainian items are locked in “gruelling battles” to repel the Russian thrust.

He famous, nonetheless, that the fiercest battles are nonetheless within the besieged Ukrainian metropolis of Pokrovsk, within the jap Donetsk area, the place near half of all frontline clashes passed off over the earlier 24 hours.

The cities of Kupiansk and Lyman in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv area have additionally lately witnessed an uptick in fight.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour virtually 4 years in the past and now occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian land. New US sanctions that take intention at Russia’s oil sector, which is the mainstay of the Russian financial system, are because of come into drive on Nov. 21. Their objective is to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to simply accept a ceasefire.

Kyiv officers, in the meantime, threat being distracted by a rising corruption scandal engulfing senior members of the federal government. Ukraine’s Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko was suspended from his submit on Wednesday after being positioned beneath investigation, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko introduced.

Russian positive factors come at a value

The U.S. sanctions on Russia’s largest oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, elevate the stakes for Putin. The Russian chief has thus far averted critical top-level peace negotiations, with Ukrainian and Western officers accusing him of stalling for time whereas his military tries to seize extra Ukrainian territory. International peace efforts have come to nothing.

Russia’s larger and better-equipped military has scaled up its assaults, putting the short-handed Ukrainian navy beneath extreme pressure. Ukrainian officers mentioned in September that the frontline has grown in size to just about 1,250 kilometres (800 miles). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned earlier this month that Russia had deployed round 170,000 troops in Donetsk.

Over the previous 4 weeks, the Russian Defence Ministry has reported capturing 9 settlements and villages in Donetsk: eight within the Zaporizhzhia area, seven within the Dnipropetrovsk area and 5 within the Kharkiv area.

Russia’s corrosive battle of attrition has been pricey when it comes to casualties and armour, nonetheless, and Ukraine has held it to incremental battlefield positive factors.

The Institute for the Study of War mentioned Russia’s siege of Pokrovsk, the place it has deployed elite drone operators and “spetsnaz” particular forces troopers, has been slow-moving as a result of its navy commanders are spreading their assets extensively.

Russia is pursuing a number of offensive operations throughout the theatre concurrently and is having issue extending logistical operations, the Washington-based suppose tank mentioned late Tuesday.

Ukraine, in the meantime, has launched sustained long-range drone assaults on high-value military-related belongings inside Russia.

Its newest assault hit the Stavrolen chemical plant in Budionnovsk, within the Stavropol area of Russia, in a single day, in keeping with the final workers. The plant produces polymers for composite supplies utilized by the Russian navy, it mentioned.