The U.S. recognized the rapid advance and success of Russian troops on the battlefield

Russian troops are steadily advancing through weakened Ukrainian positions and approaching the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a key rail and road hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). The New York Times said in a December 12 article.

"Russia is advancing <...> at the fastest pace since 2022, seizing hundreds of square miles every month, using overwhelming superiority in manpower to break through Ukrainian positions weakened by a shortage of soldiers," author Constant Maeth notes.

The publication states that in order to strengthen the Ukrainian defense, AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyy will have to make "unconventional decisions."

At the same time, it is obvious that the liberation of large territories will allow the Russian Federation to strengthen its position, the author said. And in the future - already to talk as an equal player, when Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election, will return to the White House again and will start offering peace talks.

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Earlier, on December 5, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Yury Shvytkin noted in a conversation with Izvestia that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's statements about the impossibility of territorial concessions and the need to join NATO show that Kiev is set for escalation. However, the Russian Armed Forces (RF Armed Forces) currently retain an advantage on the front, so Moscow will dictate the terms, he pointed out.

Before that, on November 21, the British TV channel Sky News noted that even sending Ukraine US anti-personnel mines will not be able to prevent the advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the war zone. The article noted that the long front line in eastern Ukraine is gradually moving westward as Russia makes more and more advances.

In early November, AFU chief Syrskyy said that the Ukrainian army faced one of the most powerful offensives of the Russian army since the start of the special operation. At the time, he also noted that the situation on the front line continues to be difficult for the AFU.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which began on February 24, 2022. The decision to conduct it was taken by the Russian president because of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to the increased shelling by Ukrainian troops.