On Nov. 24, the Ukrainian command admitted that the situation at the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions was becoming increasingly tense, and the Russians were preparing to attack Orikhiv and Hulyaipol in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The British Institute for the Study of War noted that Russian advances had accelerated and the front line in the Donbas had become more fluid than in the previous months of 2024. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces scored a success with the precise strike on the S-400 air defence system in the Kursk region, where a radar station and two launchers were destroyed, eliminating eight Russian soldiers. At the same time, the world media reported that Russia was recruiting Yemeni mercenaries from the Houthi movement, who, lured by the promise of work and citizenship, were immediately sent to the most dangerous sections of the front. 

Nov. 25 was marked by intense drone attacks on fuel and arms infrastructure deep in Russia, including a spectacular attack on the Kaluganefteprodukt oil depot in Kaluga, where Ukrainian UAVs set four tanks on fire. Also, drones attacked the Typhoon plant, responsible for the production of advanced radar electronics for the Russian army, which confirmed the effectiveness of the Ukrainian strategy of destroying the enemy's technological base. On the battlefield in the Donbas, the Russians captured the towns of Lycychne and Zhovte, tightening the noose around Kurakhove.

The last days of November 2024 brought a sharp intensification of Russian offensive operations in the Donbas and a second massive attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the month, which paralyzed electricity supplies to millions of civilians. 

On the night of Nov. 26, Ukraine was the target of a record-breaking drone attack in which Russia used 188 Shahed drones and Iskander-M missiles, leading to severe damage to the power grid in Ternopil and fatalities at a gas station in Sumy. At the same time, the Russian side accused Ukraine of carrying out two ATACMS missile strikes on the Vostochny air base in the Kursk region, admitting that radar systems had been damaged. In response to mounting pressure, the Joe Biden administration asked Congress for an additional $24 billion in aid for Kyiv, to safeguard Ukraine's defence capabilities before the change of power in Washington.

The end of the month brought a tragic missile attack on Tsarichanka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where four people were killed and 24 were injured as a result of Russian shelling, including children. On the front in the Kursk region, a Ukrainian HIMARS missile hit the Russian 83rd Air Assault Brigade during a ceremonial roll call, eliminating 12 soldiers, including high-ranking officers. Zaporizhzhia region Governor Ivan Fedorov announced the almost full completion of multi-level fortifications around Zaporizhzhia, which had been modernized to repel FPV drone attacks. 

December 2024 began with the intensification of operations on many fronts, with the Ukrainian side placing emphasis on regaining the initiative in selected points of the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, while Russia continued its costly tactics of mass assaults and drone strikes against civilian infrastructure.

The beginning of the month brought conflicting reports from the southern sector of the front in the Donetsk region, where the Russians announced the capture of the village of Novy Komar, the aim of which was to cut logistical routes towards Velyka Novosilka. However, the Institute for the Study of War confirmed that Ukrainian forces had managed to improve their positions in the Kursk region, despite Russian advances near Pokrovsk and Hulyaipol. Russian air terror continued unabated, with tragic consequences recorded in Kherson, where a drone struck a city bus, killing three people, including a child. On the political arena, Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Kyiv, announced the delivery of the promised one million artillery shells, which President Zelensky commented on as an important step, but still insufficient to launch a full counteroffensive.

AFP analyses of Dec. 2 showed that November was the month of Russia's greatest territorial gains since the beginning of the invasion, which, however, came at the cost of huge losses, as the aggressor's troops approached to within less than 7 kilometres of Pokrovsk. A massive drone attack struck Ternopil that night, destroying the top floors of a skyscraper and killing a civilian, setting the stage for a surprise visit to Kyiv by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who brought a €650 million aid package. The US also announced $725 million in military support, including NASAMS systems and landmines, while NATO structures began informally exploring scenarios for the deployment of European troops to monitor a possible ceasefire.

Illustrative photo/AI generated