Ukraine: kyiv liberates villages near Bakhmut, US and NATO experience long war, Crimea strikes Moscow drones

Drones shot down in Crimea and near Moscow

Russia claimed to have intercepted several Ukrainian drones in annexed Crimea, in the Moscow region as well as in Begorod and Voronezh, on the border.

A total of 13 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by Russian air defenses, while no casualties or damage were reported by local authorities in Crimea.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck a factory in Kharkiv on Saturday where Ukrainian army armored vehicles were being repaired.

The head of Ukraine’s local military administration, Oleg Synegubov, wrote on Telegram that a “civilian” enterprise was hit around 00:30 local time by missiles, causing a fire.

kyiv has increased attacks on Russian territory in recent months, against a backdrop of counter-offensive.

Although such strikes are often intercepted by Moscow’s defenses or rarely hit military targets, experts say Ukraine’s drone war pursues some key objectives. Learn more below.

Ukraine seizes villages near Bakhmut

kyiv reportedly captured the village of Klishchiivka on the Eastern Front, just a day after the Ukrainian flag was raised over Andriivka.

Russia has not officially commented on Ukraine’s claims, but its supporters in the Donetsk region have denied the significance of the victories, saying the two villages are unoccupied and largely reduced to ruins.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his speech on Sunday evening to thank the armed forces units for the capture of Klishchiivka near Bakhmut in the east of the country.

The fierce fighting along the front in Donetsk left few buildings, or even trees, standing in the villages.

Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in June to retake territories occupied by Russia, after receiving Western weapons and training.

Ukrainian soldiers now appear to be closing in on Bakhmut, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war so far. If they recaptured the city, it would be a major symbolic victory.

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In July, a former Russian mercenary from Wagner told Euronews harrowing details of the fighting in Bakmut, revealing lies and mutinies at the front.

Washington and NATO envisage a long war

Kiev’s counter-offensive “has not failed” but the road to victory is still very long, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

“This offensive, although slow, slower than expected, has remained constant,” he said, adding that Ukraine still had “a significant strike force.”

The general acknowledged, however, that it “will take a long time” to achieve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s goal of “expelling all Russians.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also warned that the West should not expect a quick end to the war in Ukraine, in another interview published on Sunday.

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“Most wars last longer than expected when they started,” Stoltenberg said in this interview with German media group Funke.

“So we must prepare for a long war in Ukraine,” he added.

In September, Estonia’s defense minister warned that time is running out for Ukraine’s counter-offensive as winter conditions approach.

Ukraine’s armed forces faced an uphill battle after launching their major military offensive, with Moscow having had several months to prepare.

Progress has been slow and will likely be even slower as wet, muddy and icy weather conditions make large troop and vehicle movements more difficult.