Russia advances in Ukraine at fast pace, moving into Kurakhove, analysts say

Russian forces have been advancing in Ukraine at the fastest pace since the early months of the war, are moving into the strategic town of Kurakhove and have been exploiting vulnerabilities of Kyiv troops, analysts said on Monday. "Russian forces recently have been advancing at a significantly quicker rate than they did in the entirety of 2023," analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in a report. The report noted recent confirmed battlefield gains near Vuhledar and Velyka Novosilka, which are in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.