Heavy fighting continues in Ukraine’s east, with about 400 incidents of shelling recorded there in the past day alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The “fiercest battles” are taking place in the Donetsk region, he added. The nearly nine-month-old conflict is showing no signs of abating as winter approaches and both sides gear up to continue the fight well into next year.
Muddy conditions have made warfare especially difficult, and Ukraine and Russia are struggling with stretched ammunition supplies and battle-weary troops. “Little by little we are moving forward with battles,” Zelensky said. “We are holding the line, consistently and very calculatedly destroying the potential of the occupiers.” The Washington Post could not independently verify the number of shelling incidents.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
4. From our correspondents
The relatives, who are risking retaliation from Russian authorities for their outspokenness about a war the Kremlin continues to call a “special military operation,” have said in videos posted online and in media interviews that recently mobilized soldiers have been deployed into battle with little training, poor equipment and often no clear orders. High casualties, military setbacks and reports of poor conditions for Russian soldiers could be contributing to waning support for the war in Russia.
Read More: Ukraine live briefing: ‘Fiercest battles’ happening in Ukraine’s east, Zelensky says
