Russian forces occupied Vremivka and established control over 70% of Velyka Novosilka, marking significant territorial losses in the Donetsk region. The military reported 167 combat engagements, concentrated in the Pokrovsk sector.
Ukraine conducted multiple strikes on Russian infrastructure, hitting the Ryazan oil refinery and destroying over 200 Shahed drones at storage facilities in the Orliv region. Latvia dispatched warships to investigate damage to a strategic communications cable in the Baltic Sea, suggesting a pattern of infrastructure targeting.
By evening, President Zelenskyy appointed General Drapatyi as the new commander of the Operational Strategic Group "Khortytsia," responding to the deteriorating situation in the east. The Independent reported on Trump's intention to end the war by spring, while Europe prepared contingency plans for potential escalation with Russia.