support under Donald Trump's administration. As the president-elect pledged to bring both sides to the negotiating table, battlefield losses are likely to put Ukraine at a weakened position.The advance is reportedly the fastest near Velyka Novosilka, a village in southern Donetsk Oblast close to the administrative border with Zaporizhzhia Oblast.Ukrainian officials have increasingly raised concerns about a possible new Russian push in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the south, just as Russian forces continue to advance in the east, focusing their efforts near Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.According to Agentstvo's analysis of DeepState data, Russia captured around 187 square kilometers (72 square miles) in the south.Moscow's troops have also reportedly advanced 33 square kilometers (12.7 square miles) near Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast, 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) in the east of Kharkiv Oblast, and 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles) near Chasiv Yar.The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify the claims.Russia's advance has picked up pace over the past months as Ukraine's military struggles to replenish its ranks, and Western arms were not flowing in as fast as Kyiv would have hoped.The outgoing Biden administration seeks to speed up materiel deliveries before Trump takes office.