Russian forces have completed the capture of two villages, Promin in Donetsk Oblast, and Vysoke in Zapoirzhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian analytical and mapping group DeepState reported on Nov. 26.

With both of them in two of the respective hotspots of the front line, the loss of the two settlements reflected steady Russian advances ahead of the winter fighting season.

Promin is located near the city of Myrnohrad, which remains under Ukrainian control despite its near-complete encirclement over the last month as Russian forces continue to overrun the neighboring city of Pokrovsk.

Meanwhile, Vysoke lies just northeast of the small city of Huliaipole, which — despite being one of the most stable parts of the front-line for almost the whole length of the full-scale war — is now threatened by Russia’s brisk push into eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian attacks were reported in almost all parts of the front line over the previous day.

The Pokrovsk sector was the area of the heaviest fighting, with 41 clashes registered, followed by the Lyman area in northern Donetsk Oblast, with 35.

In a separate post on the Huliaipole area, the General Staff denied reports that pockets of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded, calling the situation “tense.”

Russian forces have maintained a high intensity of offensive activity throughout autumn, with heavy fog and rain aiding attacking operations mostly dominated by the use of small groups of infantry.

In Pokrovsk, Russian forces continue to be geolocated in all parts of the city, with videos from the ground showing Russian soldiers casually walking through the center of the city.

Ukrainian forces continue to conduct counterattacking and clearing operations in the area, but none have been verified to significantly reverse Russian control.

Read also: Analysis: With all eyes on Pokrovsk, Russia drives forward in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

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