As Trump pushes Kyiv to accept a peace deal, Russia attacks nine Ukrainian cities at once and plans a major push in Donbas

Like our earlier reports on the combat situation in Ukraine, this article takes stock of the recent developments on the battlefield based on open-source information. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and our detailed military analyses are part of our commitment to objective reporting on a war we firmly oppose.

Our map is based exclusively on open-source photos and videos, most of them posted by eyewitnesses on social media. We collect available evidence and determine its geolocation markers, adding only the photos and videos that clear this process. Meduza doesn’t try to track the conflict in real time; the data reflected on the map are typically at least 48 hours old.

Key updates as of December 12, 2025

The Russian Armed Forces are carrying out assaults — with varying degrees of success — on nine Ukrainian cities at once. All of these offensives stem from the intense fighting over the summer and fall, during which Russian troops managed to envelop major fortified Ukrainian positions in the Donbas, and in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Meanwhile, Russia’s command is preparing for a larger operation that could potentially be its last one of the war: an attempt to capture the Kramatorsk agglomeration in the Donetsk region. In the ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration, the Kremlin is demanding that Ukraine hand over this area voluntarily, threatening to seize it by force if Kyiv refuses.

This hypothetical offensive would be aimed at achieving the Russian authorities’ political objectives for the war, though these may still change. Trump’s proposed “peace plan”, which would freeze the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, also offers Moscow an additional military advantage as long as it’s unsigned, because this is precisely where Russian troops are advancing the fastest. Meanwhile, Russia continues to seize new territory in the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, even though, under the same plan, control of these areas would be returned to Ukraine.

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Pokrovsk

Russian forces hold most of Pokrovsk and have pushed beyond its northern outskirts. However, Ukrainian troops are still operating inside the city, taking advantage of its dense urban environment and the relatively thinly spread Russian formations. One video shows Ukrainian assault troops carrying a flag roughly a kilometer (0.6 miles) into Pokrovsk from the city’s northern edge. Another video, reportedly filmed in the city center, features a Ukrainian flag, though the date and exact location have not been verified.

Operationally, Russian attacks from Pokrovsk’s northern outskirts toward Ukrainian supply lines and rear positions between Hryshyne and Rodynske (which Russia has partially captured) are more significant. Ukrainian sources report that all routes in and out of Myrnohrad for Ukrainian troops are now a “gray zone.”

Ukrainian forces have been unable to open a corridor to Myrnohrad from Rodynske, Zatyshok, or Zapovidne. The Russian military has launched a new offensive along this axis. Ukraine’s defenses in nearly encircled Myrnohrad are starting to collapse: Russian troops have taken the southern residential district, entered the western edge via Rivne, and pushed into the city center from the east. This may indicate a Ukrainian withdrawal, though there’s been no confirmation of this.

Russian forces are also attempting to capture Hryshyne, the main Ukrainian logistics hub in the area. Fighting is ongoing on the village’s southeastern outskirts, while Russian troops are advancing from Kotlyne in the south.

Kostiantynivka

Russian forces have taken a small section of southern Kostiantynivka. Ukrainian troops are counterattacking along the flanks of the Russian advance, complicating Russia’s efforts.

A direct assault on the city seems unlikely for now, as Russian forces lack sufficient troops. They may instead attempt to bypass the city from the northeast. The Russian Defense Ministry claims its forces have advanced several kilometers toward the Kostiantynivka–Druzhkivka highway, but there’s still no evidence of these gains.

Siversk

As of December 11, Russian forces had captured most of Siversk, a town to the east of Kramatorsk. Ukrainian troops were likely forced to leave the city center under threat of encirclement: Russian forces seized the heights to the northwest and southwest of the city, which lies in a lowland.

Russian troops now plan to use these positions, along with the nearby captured village of Zvanivka to the south, to advance toward Slovyansk.

Lyman

Russian forces are attempting to break through near Yarova, Drobysheve, and Yampil to reach the Siverskyi Donets River, cut off supplies to Lyman, and link up with forces advancing from the opposite bank near Siversk.

Even if Lyman falls and Ukrainian troops withdraw from the northern bank, Slovyansk would not face an immediate threat: the river’s width and fast current remain a natural barrier. Over time, however, the forces advancing from Lyman and Siversk could be the first to reach the center of the Kramatorsk agglomeration.

Hulyaipole

Russian forces have reached the Haichur River along almost the entire stretch from Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region to Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have largely pulled back behind the river to establish a defensive line, while retaining a few bridgeheads.

Holding this line will be challenging for Ukraine, as Russian forces have a significant numerical advantage. Assault units have already been spotted on the western bank within Hulyaipole’s city limits, and Russian troops could still break through toward Pokrovske, a key defensive point for the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

Kupyansk

Ukrainian forces have once again disrupted Russian operations in Kupyansk. Lacking sufficient manpower for a decisive offensive, Russia is likely holding back troops in occupied parts of the Kharkiv region for political reasons, as these areas may eventually be returned to Ukraine.

Ukrainian troops continue to attack the Russian bridgehead on the Oskil River’s western bank, striking the city center and its western outskirts from the west, as well as along the river from the east.

In an apparent attempt to improve conditions for an offensive, Russian forces are continuing their advance near Kamyanka and Dvorichna, with the aim of securing a reliable link between the bridgehead on the Oskil River and nearby Russian-controlled areas.

Changes in the front line over time

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Meduza’s Razbor (“Explainers”) team