Russia advances from north as front south of Kurakhove holds steady — military analyst

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"It's difficult to predict what the front will look like in the near future. Just before the New Year, we were talking about the greatest danger coming from the southern flanks of the Kurakhove direction, from areas like Zelenivka and Sukhi Yaly. Fortunately, the front has held steady from the south, and the situation there is relatively stabilized, as much as one can say," noted Denys Popovych.

He emphasized that the key factor will be how the situation develops on the flanks.

"Meanwhile, the Russians have started advancing from the north, meaning they have crossed into the area beyond the Kurakhove Reservoir, and we now see that they have pushed further west of the reservoir. They are clearly attempting to close the encirclement between Zelenivka and Shevchenko, and if you look at the map, you can confirm this. In Kurakhove itself, there will likely be further developments near the Kurakhove Power Station, as this is an industrial facility to some extent, meaning it's an industrial zone that is easier to defend. However, once again, everything depends on the situation on the flanks; if the flanks are bypassed, then, of course, the defense of Kurakhove itself will lose its significance," said the military analyst.

• On Wednesday, January 1, Russian forces made gains in two sectors in the Donetsk region: Kurakhove and Pokrovsk.