Ukraine dismisses commander overseeing eastern Donetsk region as Russia gains pace

Ukraine’s military on Saturday fired one of its commanders responsible for overseeing the operations in the eastern Donetsk region after Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Kyiv’s logistics hub.

Oleksandr Lutsenko was dismissed from services after Ukrainian forces operating under him failed to deter Russia’s offensive, which has covered large swaths of Ukrainian lands in just a month. An official told the Financial Times that Lutsenko will be posted to another post in the army’s ground forces, while Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi has taken his place.

Ukraine’s topmost general Oleksandr Syrsky on Friday said, “The battles are extremely tough. The Russians are throwing all available forces forward, trying to break through the defence of our troops.”

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How has Russia stopped logistics op in Ukraine?

Ukraine’s largest steelmaker, Metinvest, has announced the suspension of operations at the country’s sole coking coal mine. This decision comes as Russian forces advanced to within 2 kilometers of the site near Pokrovsk, according to a company memo.

The mine accounted for half of Ukraine’s coal needs and was an important source for producing coke, a type of coal required to manufacture steel.

Russian forces have recently made their fastest advances since 2022, concentrating on Pokrovsk and the key towns of Kurakhove and Velyka Novosilka to the south. This area is strategically significant, as it lies near three major highways leading to the Dnipropetrovsk region and the city of Dnipro, a vital hub for Ukrainian military operations along the 1,000-kilometer frontline.

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Ukraine’s energy sites attacked

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Friday that it was fending off a new missile attack on its energy system, the latest in Russia’s campaign targeting the war-torn country’s power grid during the winter season.

“The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under massive attack,” Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

With inputs from agencies