From 28 November to 4 December, the war in Ukraine saw another intense week. Fierce battles raged on the eastern front, Russia renewed its attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, and Ukrainian forces continued striking Russian oil infrastructure. High-level US–Russia talks again produced no breakthroughs, even as NATO and other allies announced major new military support for Kyiv.
The heaviest fighting remains around Pokrovsk and nearby towns in Donetsk Oblast. Russia claims the city is fully captured, presenting it as its biggest territorial gain of 2025 and proof that Ukrainian defenses are weakening. Kyiv rejects that, saying fighting continues in northern districts and surrounding villages. Both sides agree on the human cost: every street gained in Pokrovsk has come at heavy loss, with hundreds of military and civilian casualties reported. Ukrainian sources estimate hundreds of civilians have died in the 18-month battle for the city.
Northwest of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad has become Russia’s next focus. Drone footage shows the town nearly destroyed by artillery and glide bombs. Ukrainian marines there say they are close to being surrounded, with supplies now delivered by ground robots because traditional routes are too dangerous. For Moscow, capturing Pokrovsk and tightening control over Myrnohrad supports a slow, attritional strategy—one Russian officials openly link to their negotiating stance.
Further north in Kharkiv Oblast, Russia says it has taken Vovchansk, though Ukrainian forces report fighting continues on the outskirts and along the broader Kharkiv–Kupiansk line. Analysts note that while Russia made gains in Kupiansk during the summer, Ukrainian counterattacks have reclaimed some areas, though skirmishes continue.
Southwest, near Hulyaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russia has advanced fastest in weeks. Several villages and open areas have changed hands, representing almost 40 percent of Russia’s November gains. Still, even here, progress is slow—just a few hundred meters at a time.
Ukrainian monitors estimate Russian forces took about 505 square kilometers in November, roughly double September’s gains. Russia now controls around 19 percent of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory and over 90 percent of Donetsk and Luhansk, compared with a third of Donbas before the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian commanders stress that these advances come at a high cost: in the south, forces report inflicting 250–300 Russian casualties per day through artillery, drones, and counter-battery fire.
This week also saw one of the heaviest waves of Russian long-range strikes in months. Overnight on 29–30 November, Russia launched coordinated missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and several regions. At least six civilians were killed and dozens injured across Ukraine. In Kyiv, two people died and 38 were wounded, including a child. About 400,000 households temporarily lost power as energy facilities were hit or damaged.
The next night, Russia launched another drone strike—89 Shahed-type drones in total—63 of which were shot down. Several still hit infrastructure targets. The attacks continued into December: on 1 December, a missile hit an industrial area in Dnipro, killing four and wounding around 40. Two days later, Kryvyi Rih was struck, injuring several civilians, including a child.
The energy grid remains a major target. On the night of 2–3 December, drones hit an energy installation in Odesa Oblast, causing a large fire and seriously injuring an employee. Earlier strikes in Odesa wounded at least six people, including two children. UN monitors report civilian casualties from long-range weapons are sharply rising in 2025: deaths between January and October are up 26 percent compared with last year, and injuries have increased by 75 percent. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General reports at least 16,230 civilians have been killed by Russian shelling since February 2022—over 2,600 more than a year ago.
Ukraine has responded by striking deeper into Russia, targeting critical oil infrastructure that fuels Moscow’s war effort. November saw at least 14 Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries—a record. Analysts say these strikes have cut Russian refining output by roughly 335,000 barrels per day since September, pushing global oil prices higher.
In recent days, Ukrainian drones hit an oil depot in Tambov Oblast and fuel reservoirs in Voronezh Oblast, sparking fires but causing no casualties. Ukraine is also believed to have damaged a mooring at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk, temporarily reducing output on a pipeline that carries over 1 percent of global oil. Kazakhstan rerouted some exports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan line. Ukrainian naval drones also struck two Russian tankers, Kairos and Virat, leaving both heavily damaged. Kyiv says these operations are designed to limit Russia’s ability to fund the war.
The strikes are drawing international attention. Oil markets reacted nervously, including to a fifth strike this year on the Druzhba pipeline in Tambov. Western officials acknowledge the impact but remain cautious publicly, concerned about energy market volatility.
Diplomacy, meanwhile, produced little. US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, spent about five hours at the Kremlin presenting a US peace plan to Putin. Both sides say no compromise emerged. Putin said any deal must reflect “realities on the ground,” including Russia’s territorial gains, and rejected concessions. The Kremlin said some US ideas were acceptable but gave no specifics. Officials in Kyiv and Europe accused Moscow of faking interest in talks while escalating attacks.
Trump later called the talks “reasonably good” and said his envoys believed Putin wants an end to the war, though the path forward remains “unclear.” The US delegation is set to brief Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, on 4 December in Miami, but the main obstacle—territory—is still unresolved.
Even as talks stall, support for Ukraine is growing. On 3 December in Brussels, NATO foreign ministers approved roughly $1 billion in new arms purchases under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). Two $500-million packages are backed by consortia including Germany, Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said more than two-thirds of members now contribute to PURL, with total commitments over $4 billion and possibly reaching $5 billion by the end of 2025.
Australia and New Zealand joined as the first non-NATO contributors. Canberra pledged A$95 million, including air-defense radars, munitions, and engineering gear; New Zealand added $15 million. Together, they add over $70 million to Ukraine’s defense effort, signaling a widening coalition of support.
The European Commission proposed raising €90 billion for Ukraine over two years through a “reparations loan” backed by Russia’s frozen EU assets. Ukraine would repay only if Russia eventually pays. While many EU countries support the plan, Belgium and legal experts warn of financial and legal risks. Leaders will debate it at a summit later this month.
As winter sets in, the week shows the war’s dual reality: Russia is making incremental but costly gains in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia and intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s cities and power grid, while Ukraine holds most of its lines, inflicts heavy losses, and strikes deep into Russia’s economy. With no side willing to give ground and peace efforts stalled, the coming weeks are likely to bring further escalation on the battlefield and across the energy front.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
