Extract from ABC News
The city of Kupiansk has already been heavily damaged by Russian strikes. (Reuters: Viktoriia Yakymenko)
In short:
Russia's defence ministry told state-run news agency TASS they had captured Krasnyi Yar in Donetsk region and Nevske in Luhansk region.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unveiled his much anticipated "victory plan."
What's next?
Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov says evacuation centres have been set up in Kharkiv, to the west of Kupiansk.
Russian forces have captured two villages in eastern Ukraine — Krasnyi Yar in Donetsk region and Nevske in Luhansk region — Russian state-run news agency TASS cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Wednesday as Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled his "victory plan".
The Ukrainian military said it had repelled Russian attacks near Krasnyi Yar on the Pokrovsk front over the past day and that Russian forces had attempted to break through Ukraine's defences around Nevske on the Lyman front, according to a morning readout it posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Meanwhile, residents have been ordered to evacuate a key Ukrainian city in the north-eastern Kharkiv region as Russian forces press closer.
The order, issued by Ukrainian authorities, applied to the rail-hub city of Kupiansk as well as the major logistics centre of Borova.
Kupiansk fell to Kremlin forces in the weeks after Russia's February 2022 invasion, but was retaken by Ukrainian troops later that year.
Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said the evacuation order was mandatory.
"The most difficult situation is in the Kupiansk sector," he said on national television.
"On the east bank of the Oskil River, which divides the city, we can no longer guarantee the restoration of electricity, heat and water supply due to constant shelling.
"All repair crews immediately come under Russian fire."
Further south, Russian forces have made headway in their drive to occupy Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, capturing villages as they move west.
People help an injured man walk out of rubble after a Russian attack in Kharkiv. (AP: Yevhen Titov)
To the west of Kupiansk, Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv has come under repeated missile and drone attack throughout most of the war.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff reported 19 battles had taken place near Kupiansk over the past 24 hours, with seven still continuing.
Governor Syniehubov said evacuation centres had been set up in Kharkiv, with 7,000 residents on the Oskil River in danger.
Zelenskyy unveils 'victory plan'
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled his much anticipated "victory plan" at Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday, urging his war-weary country to stay united ahead of its key ally, the United States, holding its presidential election.
He told politicians his plan contained five main points that relied on Kyiv's allies, including an unconditional invite to join NATO and specific weapons support.
"Together with our partners, we must change the circumstances so that the war ends. Regardless of what Putin wants. We must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace," he said.
His third point emphasised the need for Ukraine to acquire a non-nuclear deterrence capacity that he said would be enough to destroy Russian military power. He did not elaborate, but said there was an additional secret addendum that he could not disclose.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech was met with applause. (Reuters: Andrii Nesterenko)
The plan, he said, also envisaged a Western role defending Ukraine's natural mineral resources from Russian attacks as well as post-war reconstruction pledges.
The speech was attended by his top military, intelligence and political brass as well as politicians, some of whom occasionally stood up to applaud.
Mr Zelenskyy also said in his speech that his intelligence services had confirmed North Korea's supply of both weapons and people to Russia.
"Our intelligence records not only the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia, but also the transfer of people," Mr Zelenskyy told the parliament.
"These are workers for Russian factories to replace Russians killed in the war. And personnel for the Russian army. In fact, this is the participation of a second state in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia."
The Kremlin said it was too early to comment in detail on Mr Zelenskyy's plan but Kyiv needed to "sober up" and realise the futility of the policies it was pursuing.
Urging unity
After two and a half years of war, the speech sought to persuade Ukraine's exhausted public that the war could be ended soon and to emphasise the importance of ordinary Ukrainians remaining united as war challenges pile up.
"We achieved and are achieving results in battles thanks to our unity. Therefore, please do not lose unity," Mr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine faces both difficulty and uncertainty ahead of the US election, which could return Donald Trump to the White House.
The Republican former president has pledged to rapidly end the war if he wins, an idea that Kyiv's supporters fear would involve big concessions in the name of a quick deal.
Mr Zelenskyy met US President Joe Biden in Washington at the end of the September to present the plan. In a subsequent whirlwind tour of Europe, he met with the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Germany to discuss it.
Mr Zelenskyy said he would travel to the summit of European Union leaders in Brussels on Thursday to present his plan.
Reuters
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