Heavy battles near Dobropillia
Ukraine says its troops are locked in “difficult” battles in the east after Russia made rapid gains in a narrow but strategic stretch of the front line.
Military maps suggest Moscow advanced about 10 km in just two days, threatening the mining town of Dobropillia and further isolating Kostiantynivka—one of the last big towns in Donetsk still under Ukrainian control.
Probing attacks, not a full breakthrough
According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Russia’s moves involve small sabotage teams testing Ukraine’s defences. Analysts say it’s too early to call the advance a major breakthrough. Ukraine’s Operational-Tactical Group Donetsk described the fighting as “complex, unpleasant and dynamic.”
Tense backdrop to Trump-Putin talks
The surge in fighting comes just days before US President Donald Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska—their first in-person talks since 2021. Trump has suggested that ending the war might require both sides to “swap territory,” a stance Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejects.
Zelensky warns of bigger offensives
Zelensky says Russian troop movements suggest they’re preparing for fresh offensives, not peace. “We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war,” he posted on social media. European leaders are also pushing to ensure Kyiv’s interests are protected in any negotiations.
Civilian toll mounts
Russian strikes in the last 24 hours killed three people and injured 12 more, including a child, Ukrainian police reported. Moscow’s invasion, now in its third year, continues to bring incremental but costly territorial gains in the east.
