Against the backdrop of the Donetsk region's takeover, officials in Zelensky's office are sinking into despair, according to Bloomberg.

Russian forces are increasing their offensive pace in the Donetsk region — this week they captured over 200 sq. km, reports Bloomberg.

Since August 6, the Russian Armed Forces have occupied 1146 sq. km — a quarter more than during the first seven months of the year.

The calculations were based on the DeepState map — an OSINT project closely associated with the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

If the presidential elections in the United States next week do not favor Ukraine, Kyiv may have to agree to peace under unfavorable conditions or continue the fight against Russia alone, two sources close to Zelensky's office told Bloomberg.

One of them stated that Ukrainian officials are in despair. This sentiment is shared by the residents of Ukraine — more than two-thirds of the population believe that peace negotiations with Russia should begin, according to a survey by the Kyiv Razumkov Center. This is a 14% increase compared to a year ago.

Ukrainian forces are also gradually abandoning positions in the Kursk region, but the command wishes to maintain a presence there despite the lack of personnel.

The redeployment of the most experienced Ukrainian units to the Kursk region is one of the reasons why the situation in the Donetsk region is rapidly deteriorating for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writes The New York Times.

Currently, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing towards Pokrovsk — a crucial supply hub for the Ukrainian grouping in Donbas. Its capture threatens to lead to the occupation of the entire Donetsk region of Ukraine, as it is the last major agglomeration on the way to the administrative border of the region.

This week, Russian troops captured the city of Selydove, which opened their path to Pokrovsk from the southeast. Now, the Russian Armed Forces are trying to seize Kurakhovo, located south of Selydove.