The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Dec. 3 that Russian forces had “highly likely” made small advances south of Bakhmut in recent days after five months of trying to capture the besieged town in Donetsk Oblast.
The ministry said that Russia likely plans to encircle Bakhmut with “tactical advances to the north and the south,” investing a significant portion of its military effort in capturing the town.
After Russia's battlefield defeats in Ukraine’s northeast and the south, “there is a realistic possibility that Bakhmut’s capture has become primarily a symbolic, political objective for Russia,” it added.
While seizing Bakhmut could allow Russia to launch more attacks on urban areas such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast, it would have “limited operational value," according to the U.K. Defense Ministry.
“The campaign has been disproportionately costly relative to these possible gains,” the report reads.
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Wednesday, October 8
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russian forces launched 183 Shahed-type attack and decoy drones overnight.
Indian Oil Corp, the country's leading state-owned refiner, has recently purchased two to three cargoes of Russian oil using Chinese yuan, sources told Reuters.
The Bavarian cabinet approved the law, which grants local police the authority to destroy drones if deemed necessary to ensure public safety.
The number includes 1,010 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The Oktyabrsky District Court of Tambov ruled in favor of Russia's prosecutors' office and nationalized the assets of regional mobile operator Lanta, the court announced on Oct. 7.
Occupation authorities in Crimea are checking students' phones in schools for content and settings that may indicate a pro-Ukrainian position, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported on Oct. 7.
Belarus’ rail exports of gasoline to Russia surged fourfold in September as Russia has dealt with fuel shortages, Reuters reported on Oct. 7.
Wednesday, October 8
The World Bank has cut Ukraine's 2026 GDP growth projections by more than 3 points, citing the ongoing impact of Russia's invasion on the economy.
Ukraine plans to increase natural gas imports by 30% after recent Russian strikes caused major damage to its energy infrastructure, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said Oct. 7.
Estonia's State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas said Ivan Dmitriev, an active member of the Estonian Defense Forces who handled drone operations, posed a significant threat to Estonia's security.
"From our point of view, the only people who should be ashamed and should remain silent on the issue of Nord Stream 2 are those who decided to build it," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
The announcement comes, as Russia stepped up its campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent days.
A train carrying military cargo derailed in Russia's Leningrad Oblast following an explosion early on Oct. 7, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
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