### Kyiv Sounds Alarm Over Rapid Russian Advances and Missile Threats

KYIV, Ukraine – In a move that has heightened tensions, Kyiv announced on Friday that Russian forces are advancing rapidly on the eastern front, with troops moving up to nearly 1,000 feet per day. This development follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent warning to the West, bolstered by the launch of a new hypersonic missile aimed at Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Parliament ceased operations amid fears of imminent missile strikes, just one day after a nuclear-capable missile struck Dnipro, significantly escalating the conflict that began nearly 33 months ago. The intensifying conflict has had economic repercussions, causing the Russian ruble to plummet to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since March 2022.

Ukrainian military sources report that Russian forces are pushing forward by "200-300 meters a day" near Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, an area of strategic importance. The situation is reportedly more dire compared to the nearby town of Pokrovsk, another key target for Russian forces.

Putin has warned that Moscow could target nations that allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with their weapons. This threat follows recent approvals from the U.S. and the U.K. permitting Kyiv to conduct such operations. NATO and Ukrainian officials are set to convene in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the escalating situation, according to diplomatic sources.

In Kyiv, heightened fears of missile strikes led to the cancellation of the Parliament's usual Friday queries to the government. Lawmakers worked remotely, with parliamentarian Yevgenia Kravchuk noting signals of an increased risk of attacks on the capital’s government district and across Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov reported accelerated advancements in eastern Ukraine, claiming that Russian forces have "ground down" some of Kyiv’s top military units and disrupted Ukraine’s military strategy planned through 2025. On Friday, Russia announced it had "liberated" the village of Novodmytrivka, situated about 6 miles north of Kurakhove, an area Russia already claims as its territory.

Both Moscow and Kyiv appear to be racing to secure battlefield gains before January 2025, when Donald Trump is expected to assume office in the U.S., following his promise to end the war without detailing how.

Putin admitted Russia had hit Dnipro with a new ballistic missile called the Oreshnik and hinted at more such attacks depending on actions taken by the United States and its allies. The attack, which reportedly targeted an aerospace manufacturing plant in Dnipro, drew immediate condemnation from Kyiv’s international supporters and unsettled local residents.

On the streets of Moscow, public opinion on the escalating conflict appears divided. While some, like 57-year-old plumber Alexei Peshcherkin, expressed confidence in Russia's eventual victory, others like 52-year-old doctor Yulia Kim voiced fears of a possible nuclear war.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced Russia’s deployment of the medium-range missile as a “terrible escalation.” This follows Ukraine’s recent use of U.S. and UK-supplied missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time, actions sanctioned by Washington in response to Russia’s provocative deployment of North Korean troops near the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for decisive action from global leaders to counter Russia’s use of the new missile system. Meanwhile, Russian strikes have continued to claim lives, with local authorities reporting at least two civilians killed in Sumy and one in Kramatorksk in the Donetsk region.