On the front, Russia advanced in two places, one of which is fairly new for them. Russia has regained some of the territory they lost this year in Ukraine's push in Zaporizhzhia oblast, namely a bit of territory northeast of Novoprokopivka. Ukraine had come quite close to a breakthrough here, as a major Russian defensive belt runs through the area on top of some of the highest ground in the region. With Ukraine having been only tens of meters away from overrunning Russia's lines here, a successful bid to capture and hold the region could have changed things quite a bit. However, Ukraine's offensive ran out of steam, and Russia is reclaiming the land by this vital point. Ukraine probably won't have an easy opportunity at this spot in the future, and their withdrawal suggests that they are giving up on their hopes to break through by Novoprokopivka in the near future.
The other place where Russia advanced was Bakhmut, including possibly in the city itself (according to a few mappers). With only a slice of the city left under Ukrainian control, Bakhmut may shortly be once again back under complete Russian control. Russia first seized the entirety of the city this spring, but it has since then been technically contested as Ukrainian troops recaptured the southwest corner.
Amid revived rumors in recent days of a split between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi (such rumors are nothing new), Zelenskyy held a press conference in which he answered so e tough questions, including about Zaluzhnyi and the military. One of the most notable admissions was the military was pushing for an increased mobilization of around a half million men. Zelenskyy said he wouldn't sign any legislation expanding those eligible for the draft or compelling more to serve until he could be assured that they could be paid for. He also stated that he wouldn't force women to be drafted. As for his relationship with Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyy referred to it as a working one. While he wasn't singing Zaluzhnyi's praises, he also didn't provide any ammunition to the rumors of heavy disagreements between the two. Zelenskyy was also pressed on why Ukraine is only publicly starting to commit heavily to erecting defensive structures recently. Zelenskyy deflected the question a bit, talking up the fortifications in Kharkiv oblast, stated that it was largely a military decision whether or not their defenses at any given point where adequate, and that he couldn't talk too much about it overall.
Ukraine has deployed an extremely rare genuine military vessel in Kyiv, to bolster the city's air defense capabilities. With the Dnipro being a significant river, warships of a certain size can actually traverse the river. And with Russia either holding control over or being able to deny access to most of the Black Sea, the ship wouldn't do much good elsewhere. Notably, the United Kingdom today promised to help support Ukraine's naval efforts for the next decade.
Also in Kyiv area news, a flight carrying no cargo or passengers left Boryspil international airport, located in the eastern suburbs of Kyiv. The flight is the fourth such flight to have taken ace since the full scale invasion, and Ukrainian officials took the opportunity to express their hopes that international airports in Ukraine may once again be open in the future. Also relating to Kyiv area airports but to the west is a corruption scandal involving the suburbs of Hostomel. The suburb took on some of the heaviest fighting during Russia's 2022 efforts to capture Kyiv, and the battle over its airport was one of the most instrumental battles in the opening phase of the war. Nearby Bucha and Irpin, which were similarly brutalized, were rapidly rebuilt with support from the Ukrainian government and international aid. However, the situation in Hostomel is different; the mayor was killed early on, and with martial law suspending elections, this has meant the city is ran by the military. The local military administration has been charged with numerous corruption allegations, and foreign investors have been dissuaded from taking interest in the town.
Japan has announced their goal to supply Ukraine with an additional $4.5 billion USD in assistance, including humanitarian, financial, and military aid. The amount is around half again of what Japan has already promised and delivered to Ukraine. Notably, it comes as it has been formally decided that the United States will not be passing any bills before 2024 begins.