Russian Advance Slows Sharply, Ukraine’s Air Assault Chief Says

Ukraine's Air Assault Forces commander Oleh Apostol said Russian advances along the front line have slowed "very significantly" compared with earlier stages of the war, according to comments reported by RBC Ukraine on Friday. Apostol attributed the slowdown to heavy Russian losses that have weakened units' ability to sustain offensive intensity, and cautioned that capturing isolated positions like a single tree line in a month does not constitute meaningful operational progress. He acknowledged Russia still relies on a manpower advantage to continue operations. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia is losing over 40,000 troops killed or seriously wounded monthly, with October figures exceeding 50,000, while Ukraine's General Staff reported a record 16,130 Russian casualties between Nov. 1 and Nov. 7.