When the Russian military reports on the war, two locations in Donetsk are referred to as "liberated". They are two very small villages in a rural environment – a couple of small roads – but they are located near two larger and more important locations that Russia has targeted.
One of the locations is situated south of the industrial city of Kurachove, where there are Ukrainian reports of fighting also taking place within the city.
The other location is located a bit further north, south of the logistical hub Pokrovsk.
On the Ukrainian side, there is also talk of fighting in Tchasiv Yar, which has long been held as a key city in the area since it is located on a strategically advantageous height.
In November, Russian forces took control of more Ukrainian territory than they had during a single month since the first weeks of the war, according to assessments by AFP and war analysts at the American think tank Institute for the Study of War.
