Published: Nov 18, 2025, 08:53 IST | Updated: Nov 18, 2025, 08:53 IST
Russia has seized new settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region as Kyiv diverts troops to defend the embattled city of Pokrovsk. The shift has left key southern towns, including Orikhiv and Huliaipole, vulnerable to a potential Russian encirclement. Ukraine’s military admits withdrawing from several positions due to manpower shortages and sustained Russian artillery fire. Meanwhile, both sides exchanged long-range strikes: Ukraine hit a major Russian oil refinery, and Russia launched a wave of missiles and drones across Odesa and Kharkiv.