Russia has been making gradual yet steady advances in fierce combat along the extensive 1,000-kilometer front line. This ongoing conflict is believed to have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of soldiers from both sides. While Kyiv describes the intense battles as mostly deadlocked with minimal territorial shifts, Moscow insists on its continued significant progress.

Deepstate, a Ukrainian platform that maps the front line using open-source imagery, indicates that Russian forces have taken full control of a small southern portion of the city. However, the majority of the area remains a contested “grey zone,” not fully dominated by either side.

An anonymous Ukrainian military official refuted claims that their special forces had been killed, asserting that their operation is still underway.

A Ukrainian military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied that the special forces had been killed and said the operation was continuing.