Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the strategic city of Pokrovsk to uplift the spirits of soldiers as Russian forces press closer to the area.

"I visited the Sicheslav Airborne Brigade No. 25, which is defending Pokrovsk. I spoke with the soldiers and presented them with awards. This is a tense and challenging area where our troops face the enemy daily," President Zelensky wrote on social media platform X today.

Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the soldiers guarding the front lines, emphasizing that Ukraine's resilience depends on their courage. "I am deeply thankful for your bravery and expertise," he stated. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that Ukrainian forces had repelled 32 Russian attacks in the Pokrovsk area on November 17.

Pokrovsk serves as a critical logistical hub and a key stronghold for Ukraine in the eastern Donetsk province, a region Russia has been striving to capture for months. If Russia gains control of Pokrovsk, it would weaken Ukraine's defensive and supply capabilities in Donetsk, bringing Moscow closer to its goal of controlling the entire province.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced today that they had taken control of the village of Novooleksiyivka in Donetsk, approximately 15 kilometers from Pokrovsk.

In addition, Russia has escalated its attacks in various parts of Ukraine. A missile strike by Russia on the southern port city of Odessa on November 18 reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured 44 others, according to local officials.

In the early hours of November 17, Russia carried out its largest missile assault in nearly three months across multiple regions in Ukraine, resulting in at least seven deaths and crippling the country's energy infrastructure. Later that day, a Russian missile struck a residential building in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, killing 11 people and injuring 89 others.