The Russian Invasion

The Russian Invasion|The Battles
The war is approaching Pokrovsk: "The enemy faster than thought"

Leave the city - it won't get better, only worse. The military commander of the Ukrainian city of Myrnohrad, Yuriy Tretyak, sends that message to his residents, writes the Kyiv Post. Russian forces are advancing in the Donetsk region and his town is only kilometers from the front line.

- The enemy is advancing faster than expected, Tretjak said earlier this week.

In the nearby and strategically important city of Pokrovsk, residents are forcibly evacuated. But not everyone wants to leave, and some are hiding themselves and their children from authorities, making evacuation more difficult, CNN reports.

Russian forces are advancing in the area, notes the well-informed American think tank ISW. The fact that some Ukrainian soldiers have now fallen back is probably explained by the risk of being surrounded by Russian forces. However, ISW has seen no signs of any "chaotic" withdrawal.

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Poorly trained Ukrainian recruits behind the setbacks

The fact that Ukraine is losing ground on the Eastern Front is, in addition to Russia's military superiority, largely due to the fact that the Ukrainian recruits called in during the latest mobilization are far too untrained. This is stated by several commanders and soldiers for AP.

- Some of them don't want to shoot. They see the enemy in the firing line in the trenches but don't shoot [...] That's why our guys die, says a battalion commander in the 47th brigade.

The recruits are said to have problems with weapons handling and basic military tactics, and in some cases have deserted. At the beginning of the war, experienced, war-torn soldiers were sent in, but currently many lack the most basic military training, according to the sources.

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The Russian invasion. The outside world's response
Modi on site in Kyiv to call for peace talks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, he writes on X.

It is the first time an Indian Prime Minister is visiting the country. During the day, Modi will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he is expected to be invited to peace talks.

Modi, who recently visited Putin in Moscow, paints himself as a potential mediator. But it is unclear how effective Modi would be in such a role, writes The Guardian. Many Ukrainians see him as too close to Putin, not least after their high-profile hug during the meeting in July.