File image.
Russian units have finished clearing out Dobropillia in the Zaporizhzhia sector. The Russian army has taken control of Vovchansk. U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and the American leader’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have sidelined Secretary of State Marco Rubio from key negotiations.
Siversk Sector
Russian units of the «South» group of forces are conducting intensive combat operations within Siversk’s city limits. Attacks are also being carried out to the northwest, north, and south of the city to impact the logistical routes leading to Siversk.
South of the city, Russian assault groups crossed the Bakhmutovka River and took control of a strongpoint on its bank. Subsequently, units entered the Kirovo settlement. Northeast of Siversk, attacks are ongoing towards Zakotne and against positions between Platonivka and the city. Russian drone operators are monitoring and targeting supply routes in open terrain. A semi-encirclement of Siversk is effectively forming, and ground supplies to the city are only possible via improvised routes through the fields.
Zaporizhzhia Sector
Taking advantage of dense fog, which limited drone use, units of the Russian 7th Guards Air Assault Division launched an offensive in several directions. They achieved advances north and east of Stepnohirsk, as well as in the central part of Prymorske. This resulted in a breakthrough to the northern districts of the settlement.
North of Stepnohirsk, Russian units finished encircling the garrison in the city center and moved on to the final stage. Several strongpoints were occupied along the road to Zaporizhzhia, and assault groups advanced east of the northern part of Prymorske toward Veselianka. East of Stepnohirsk, Russian forces executed a rapid push, advancing to the immediate outskirts of Lukianivske.
In the eastern part of Zaporizhzhia, mopping-up operations in Dobropillia have been completed, and the advance continues towards Varvarivka. Combat operations continue in the Huliaipole area. The Zelényi Hai settlement has been cleared. This settlement had tactical value due to its location on a height.
Kharkiv Sector
Russian units of the «North» Group of Forces have built on their success by establishing full control over the city of Vovchansk. Main fighting for the southeastern outskirts of the city ended on November 30. The advance is now moving northward along the Prylypka–Lyman line. There have been notable successes, particularly in the northern part of Vilcha, which has fallen under Russian control.
Sumy Sector
Assault units from the Russian «North» group continue their offensive there, advancing deeper into the Sumy region. They are advancing with the support of aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems. Ukrainian formations did not undertake any active offensive actions.
The total advance on the offensive sections amounts to 400 meters. Attempts by Ukrainian assault groups from the 71st Separate Jäger Brigade and the 225th Separate Assault Regiment to advance in the areas of the settlements of Oleksandrivka and Andriivka were thwarted by intense fire. A Russian airstrike hit a group of foreign military specialists in the area of responsibility of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade. According to available information, the group included citizens of the Czech Republic and Poland.
Pokrovsk Sector
Combat operations in most of the urban area are nearing completion. Control of the city of Pokrovsk has been established, and mopping-up operations are ongoing on the outskirts. The southern part of the neighboring city of Myrnohrad has also been captured, while the remaining units are concentrating in the northern part of the city.
Outside the main agglomeration, fighting continues along the Hrishyne–Rodynske line, where scattered groups remain in open terrain. A relatively high concentration of forces has been noted in the area of the Bilytske settlement, from where periodic counterattacks are launched towards Dorozhnye and Sukhetske. There has been significant progress in the vicinity of Shakhove, though the situation there remains contradictory. The western Udachne–Kotlyne line remains static while fighting continues on the Hrishyne outskirts, where positions have been consolidated on several streets.
Konstantynivka Sector
There have been confirmed successes on the southeastern outskirts of the Konstantynivka. The Russian army conducted a series of attacks and consolidated its positions around the tram and carriage depot and the motor transport enterprise. This was made possible by clearing several tactical «pockets» beforehand and establishing control over Ivanopillia. Despite the continued presence of small Ukrainian units in Pleshcheievka and Nelepivka, the operational situation in Konstantynivka has improved.
The situation remains tense on the southern flank of the sector. Russian units are attacking from the south, from Yablonivka. There have been some local successes, but it is premature to speak of large-scale changes.
Conclusion
At the beginning of December, the operational situation demonstrated the progressive development of offensive operations on most sectors. In the Siversk sector, the key achievement was advancing towards Sviato-Pokrovske and creating conditions for the operational encirclement of the city. This threatens all ground communications of the Siversk grouping. On the Zaporizhzhia sector, there have been two successes: a breakthrough and encirclement in the Stepnohirsk area to the west and the completion of the clearing of Dobropillia and Zeleney Hai to the east, amid the continuing advance towards Varvarivka and Huliaipole. In the Kharkiv sector, the main outcome is establishing full control over Vovchansk and advancing north into the Vilcha area. The operation to capture the urban agglomeration in the Pokrovsk sector has entered its final phase, with efforts shifting towards clearing and consolidating the flanks. In the Konstantynivka sector, there has been tactical advancement and consolidation on the southeastern approaches to the city. In the Sumy sector, the tactic of applying methodical pressure through local attacks and targeted strikes against specific targets, including foreign military personnel, continues.
The official announcement on December 1 of full control over Vovchansk was the result of a prolonged and methodical operation. Units of the 128th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, the 69th and 72nd Motorized Rifle Divisions, and other units of the «North» troop grouping played key roles in the assault itself.
According to participants in the fighting, special attention was paid to coordinating and executing stealthy movements by small groups in the complex urban environment. The Ukrainian forces had transformed Vovchansk into a formidable fortified area using industrial buildings and extensive infrastructure. However, systematic fire damage and subsequent assaults overcame this defense.
Controlling Vovchansk is of key strategic importance, opening up new operational possibilities for the Russian command. Capturing the city radically changes the tactical situation by opening the way for Russian troops to advance further south towards Kharkiv. A direct consequence of this success is the ability to create a bridgehead to link up with the grouping in the Dvorichna area. This will allow for the subsequent development of an offensive along the Siverskyi Donets River to the west. The next planned steps aim to link up with the «West» grouping forces to establish control over Kupyansk and form a continuous security line along the border. Thus, Vovchansk became a key hub for putting pressure on Kharkiv and shortening the front line in the northern part of the region, not just a tactical point.
Along with the changes on the front, significant shifts are being observed in the diplomatic process. According to The Times, there has been a shift in roles within the American delegation. U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the American leader’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have effectively sidelined Secretary of State Marco Rubio from key negotiations, according to the publication. Rubio is seen as more loyal to Kyiv. After negotiating with the Ukrainian delegation in Florida — a meeting that, according to Axios, focused on the sensitive issue of border delimitation and took place in a difficult but productive atmosphere — Witkoff and Kushner are heading to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Vladimir Putin will receive them in the Kremlin. CNN reported that the Florida negotiations also considered a scenario that would effectively deprive Ukraine of the prospect of NATO membership, though no final decision was made.
The ongoing situation on the battlefield, where Russian units remain in the lead, and the simultaneous visit of key American negotiators to Moscow suggest that the diplomatic process is entering a critical phase where military successes directly impact the terms of potential political agreements.
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this is a strategic defeat of the us, nato and the eu. if they continue to escalate, it will be much more than that.
the cost imposed on russia will be paid by ukraine and those nations that provoked that conflict in the first place, and it will be steep.
empire ending steep.