Situation gradually deteriorates in Ukraine's Kurakhove sector - military observer

Military observer Denys Popovych stated this on Espreso TV.

"The situation in the Kurakhove sector is very tense now, and it is gradually deteriorating. Ukrainian troops are engaged in rearguard battles, retreating in such a way as to gain time and inflict maximum losses on the enemy. The enemy is currently holding the Kurakhove - Zaporizhzhia highway under fire control. The Russians have come close enough to be able to fire. This makes it difficult to move in such conditions," he noted.

If we look at the situation a week ago and now, we can see that the Kurakhove "sack" is shrinking not in favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and we must recognize this, Popovych said.

"The Deep State map shows that Russian forces bypass the Kurakhove Reservoir, actually seizing the northern shore and entering from the west. This allows them to cut the Kurakhove - Zaporizhzhia road, as well as from many other places, including Sukhi Yaly, Kostiantynopil or Velyka Novosilka. There is a danger along the entire length of the theater of operations in the Kurakhove sector," he added.

However, there is also good news: there is information from Velyka Novosilka that the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to drive the enemy out of the village of Novyi Komar. According to a military observer, this is a tactical success for Ukrainian troops.

• On November 29, Russian troops succeeded south of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian troops are facing encirclement.
• On November 30, the DeepState OSINT project reported that Russian forces continue to put pressure on Kurakhove from several directions, and that the aggressor is making significant progress in the town.
• According to DeepState, on December 4, Russian troops advanced in Kostiantynopol, Sukhi Yaly, Staryi Terny, Novopustyntsi, and Yelyzavetivka in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region, as well as in Chasiv Yar in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk region.