Russia has been keen to portray a one-sided view of the battlefield situation – but according to the Institute for the Study of War, Moscow’s victory is not a foregone conclusion. Get your questions in for our military analyst Michael Clarke and follow the latest here.
Thursday 27 November 2025 07:11, UK
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Our military analyst Michael Clarke is back for another instalment of his weekly Q&A tomorrow afternoon.
He’ll join our presenter Kamali Melbourne at 1pm, giving you plenty of time to send us any of your questions.
Since last week’s session, there have been more developments in the diplomatic sphere, with back and forth talks over a peace deal.
Whatever your question, get in touch using the box above and we’ll get through as many as we can.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that Russia must be pressured for peace instead of Ukraine, as it is “the sole reason this war drags on”.
In a post on social media, Zelenskyy accused Russia of “peddling a narrative around the world” suggesting that Ukraine can’t defend itself.
“The daily combat results of the Ukrainian army, our special forces, and deep strikes – these are all proof that Ukraine can defend its interests,” he said.
“Now every eliminated Russian occupier, every replenishment of our exchange fund for Ukraine, every Russian assault Ukrainians have repelled, every piece of destroyed Russian equipment, every deep strike we carry out – these are all arguments showing that it’s worth standing with Ukraine, worth helping Ukraine.”
While diplomatic efforts to end the war have ramped up over the past week, analysts have weighed in on the situation on the battlefield.
The Institute for the Study of War has said that data on the rate of advance of Russia’s forces indicates that a Russian military victory in Ukraine is “not inevitable”.
It also added that a “rapid Russian seizure of the rest of Donetsk Oblast is not imminent”.
“The reality on the battlefield indicates that a Russian victory in Ukraine is far from certain,” the report said.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military commanders have been attempting to portray Russia as capable of rapidly seizing Donetsk Oblast militarily, but hard data on the rate of Russian advance in Donetsk Oblast does not indicate that Russian forces will imminently seize the rest of the oblast.”
The report stated that Russian forces have advanced at an average of 0.12km per day in Pokrovsk since entering for the first time on 31 July.
It added that Russian forces have consolidated advances in 66% of Pokrovsk as of 26 November – a low percentage given the time and manpower Russia has dedicated to the effort.
While the US is leading the push for Russia and Ukraine to agree to a peace proposal, overnight attacks are continuing.
Russia’s defence ministry said air defences downed 118 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 52 over the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s state emergency service said at least two people were injured after Russian attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
“As a result of the strikes, a shop, an extension to the house, a summer kitchen, a garage, a car and a gazebo caught fire,” it said in a statement.
“A fire also broke out inside a private home.”
Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine as discussions continue over a US-brokered peace plan.
We’ll resume our updates shortly – but first, here’s a round-up of yesterday’s top lines.
Witkoff ‘advised Russia’ on Trump approach
We brought you reports from Bloomberg that claimed Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff advised the Russians on how best to approach the US president about the deal.
It led to one Republican representative calling for him to be fired, and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov saying the call was confidential and its leak was “unacceptable”.
Donald Trump Jr quoted a post from a Republican strategist claiming that what Witkoff was doing was “classic negotiation techniques to butter up his counterpart”.
Russia rejects concessions
Elsewhere, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was questioned by Sky News on whether Russia has agreed to any concessions, after the US peace plan was updated in consultation with the Ukrainians.
Questioned by our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett, Ryabkov said his country was “prepared to work with the materials we have”.
He added: “There can be no talk of any concessions or surrendering our approach regarding the key issues we’re facing, including in the context of the Special Military Operation.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump claimed Russia is “making concessions” in talks to end the war.
Watch below: Bennett questioning Ryabkov
That’s all for now – check our previous post for a recap of the latest developments.
We’ll be back soon with more on the war in Ukraine and ongoing peace talks.
It’s just gone 8pm in the UK – let’s recap today’s main news to get you up to speed…
‘No talk of concessions’
Russia’s deputy foreign minister told Sky News earlier that Moscow had not agreed to any concessions in a potential Ukraine peace plan.
Questioned by our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennet, Sergei Ryabkov said:
“There can be no talk of any concessions or surrendering our approach regarding the key issues we’re facing, including in the context of the special military operation.”
Watch Bennett question Ryabkov here…
Contradicting Trump
The comments were pointed for two reasons.
Firstly, since Ukraine and the US met in Geneva over the weekend, we’ve been waiting for Russia to respond to a more developed peace plan.
But secondly, Ryabkov’s claims were in direct contradiction to the US president.
Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida for Thanksgiving last night, said that Russia was “making concessions” – the opposite of Ryabkov’s answer.
Watch Trump’s comments below…
Is Trump’s adviser advising…. Moscow?
There is growing scrutiny on the US’s peace efforts – especially after a Bloomberg report saying that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff instructed Russia on how best to approach the US president last month.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who took part in the call with Witkoff, said today the call was confidential and the leak of it was “unacceptable”. He also called some of the leaked details fake.
Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, claimed the leak amounted to hybrid warfare.
The White House also acknowledged the call took place after the Bloomberg report, while defending Witkoff.
Unlikely duo defend Witkoff after leak
In the aftermath of the Witkoff leak, an unlikely duo posted on social media to defend Donald Trump’s envoy.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, was one of them.
He quoted a post from a Republican strategist claiming that what Witkoff was doing was “classic negotiation techniques to butter up his counterpart”.
Trump Jr, in his own post, says:
“It’s almost like these media and deep state morons have never successfully negotiated a deal in the real world.”
The more unexpected ally of Witkoff turned out to be an aide to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev also posted online – quoting the US president’s son X post, and simply writing: “True.”
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s usual spokesman, also reacted to the leak today – saying there was “nothing scary” in the conversations reported by Bloomberg.
But critics say it shows the American approach to ending the war in Ukraine is skewed towards Russia.
Trump has suggested that Ukraine and Russia are getting closer to a deal, but at the same time pushed back at meeting leaders from either country.
US correspondent James Matthews doubts whether the American president is entirely in control of the process.
In the latest episode of the Trump 100 podcast, he explains:
“We’ve seen him not for the first time short of a coherent strategy, one that demonstrates a strength and a consistency of the US, something that Russians would respect and that would reassure the rest of us.”
Matthews adds that while no one’s asking the president to publicly lay out his plan, everyone was “looking for a sign that he’s in control of events”.
Listen to the full episode below as our correspondents discuss why Trump envoy Steve Witkoff is coaching Putin on how to deal with the president…
Listen on your preferred podcast app via this link.
Donald Trump has dispatched officials to Moscow and Kyiv to try to finalise negotiations over a potential peace deal.
It comes as representatives from the US, Russia and Ukraine all met in Abu Dhabi earlier this week – for what were dubbed “secret” talks.
Our experts from across the world have written about who is negotiating the peace deal on behalf of each nation…
US correspondent Mark Stone profiles the army secretary on the up.
Security and defence editor Deborah Haynes writes about one of Ukraine’s best, and youngest, commanders.
And Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett explains who Putin’s Ukrainian-born point man in America is.
Watch a breakdown of the trio here as well…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has spoken to Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission, today.
Zelenskyy posted on X about the conversation, saying he thanked her personally for her “clear position and messages of support for Ukraine” in a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels today.
“We see eye to eye: as long as Russia continues to rebuff all peace efforts, sanctions against it must be tightened, and defence and financial assistance for Ukraine must continue,” Zelenskyy said.
He added they discussed frozen assets – many of which are held in EU nations. There’s ongoing debate about whether these assets could be used to help fund Ukraine’s defence.
Zelenskyy said: “We discussed the current diplomatic situation and the European Union’s work on a decision regarding the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s defence.”
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