Russia has seized control of three more settlements in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region as its forces intensify attacks along the front lines, Ukraine’s top military commander said Wednesday.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Telegram that thick fog allowed Russian troops to infiltrate Ukrainian defenses in the region, sparking “grueling battles” as Ukrainian forces fought to push them back.

He added that the most intense clashes remain centered around the besieged eastern city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, which accounted for nearly half of all combat incidents over the past day. Fighting has also intensified near Kupiansk and Lyman in northeastern Kharkiv.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, now occupies about one-fifth of the country’s territory. The latest advances come as new U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s vital oil industry are set to take effect on November 21, aiming to pressure President Vladimir Putin into agreeing to a ceasefire.

Ukraine’s leadership is meanwhile grappling with a corruption scandal involving senior officials. Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko was suspended Wednesday pending investigation, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko confirmed.

Despite its recent territorial gains, Russia continues to suffer heavy losses in personnel and equipment. Ukrainian officials say Moscow’s larger, better-equipped army has expanded the front line to nearly 1,250 kilometers, placing Kyiv’s forces under severe strain.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that Russia has deployed around 170,000 troops in Donetsk alone. Over the past month, Moscow has claimed to have captured multiple settlements — nine in Donetsk, eight in Zaporizhzhia, seven in Dnipropetrovsk, and five in Kharkiv.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia’s advance on Pokrovsk remains slow, despite deploying elite drone units and special forces, due to overstretched logistics and widespread offensive operations across multiple regions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued launching long-range drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. Its latest attack targeted the Stavrolen chemical plant in Budionnovsk, in Russia’s Stavropol region, which produces polymers used in military-grade materials, Ukraine’s general staff said.