ISW: Ukraine makes confirmed advances near Bakhmut.

Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdiumivka, located 10 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut in Donetsk Obalst, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in their latest update on Oct.

30. Additional geolocated footage from Oct.

29 indicates that Ukrainian forces have marginally advanced west of Robotyne in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The Ukrainian General Staff reiterated that Ukrainian forces are continuing offensive actions near Bakhmut and offensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhzhia Oblast) direction.

In May, Russia seized control of Bakhmut, a location marked by some of the most intense combat during since February, 2022. Ukraine has been engaged in a counteroffensive since June, aiming to reclaim territories in the southern and eastern regions that are currently under occupation, including the town of Bakhmut. Russia has strengthened its forces in the Bakhmut sector, switching from defense to active actions, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces who heads the military operations in the east, reported on Oct.

30. Syrskyi pointed out that the situation on the eastern front continues to be challenging, with Russia escalating its activities in the Kupiansk sector. Here, Russian forces are launching attacks from multiple directions.

Ukraine war latest: Russia claims downing missiles over occupied Crimea, Ukraine reports hits

Key developments on Oct.

30: * Russia claims downing Storm Shadow missiles over occupied Crimea, locals report hits * Rutte: Pledged F-16s to arrive in Romania for pilot training in 2 weeks * Prosecutor's Office: Russian forces murder a family of 9 in occupied Volnovakha * Digital Transformatio...

Development Manager, Canadian Correspondent

Olena Goncharova is a development manager and Canadian correspondent for the Kyiv Independent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper's Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Olena has a master's degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months.

The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.