**Russian Forces Mark Massive Advances, Ukraine Prepares for Counteroffensive**

In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russian troops have achieved their fastest territorial gains in Ukraine since 2022, seizing nearly 235 square kilometers over the past week. This rate of advancement is a record for 2024, according to reports from Reuters.

After a prolonged period of near-static front lines, heavy fighting resumed in the summer of 2024. According to Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst at Finland's Black Bird Group, Russian forces captured approximately 667 square kilometers in November. These figures include some territorial changes that may have initially occurred in October but were documented subsequently.

Reports from the DeepState project highlighted recent Russian captures of Novoselydivka, north of Kurakhove, and Petrivka, to the south of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Additionally, Russian advances were noted near Novomlynsk and Kruhlyakivka in the Kharkiv region. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have suggested that the Russian military may be planning an offensive towards the southernmost areas of the Dnipropetrovsk region, a region not amongst those illegally annexed by Russia.

On November 26, Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, claimed Russia was open to negotiations but insisted they would not agree to freeze the current front line or establish a demilitarized zone. Naryshkin indicated that Russia seeks comprehensive resolution of the "root causes" he claims necessitated the war, which analysts interpret as a demand for Ukrainian capitulation and the transfer of four partially occupied regions.

Despite these Russian gains, Ukraine remains defiant. Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced plans for a new counteroffensive aimed at seizing the initiative. Syrsky stressed that Ukrainian victory depends on taking active measures rather than remaining solely on the defensive.

On the ground, a source within Ukraine's defense forces revealed that Russian troops are attempting to encircle Kurakhove by severing the logistical route from Kostyantynivka to Kurakhove. The situation in Kurakhove has intensified, with fighting occurring within the city and the center coming under enemy fire control.

Russian forces continue to employ small tactical units supported by artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, armored vehicles, drones, and electronic warfare systems. Their aviation units are also operating with increased intensity, signaling that the conflict's dynamics may yet shift dramatically due to impending Ukrainian countermeasures.