Offensive comes days before Trump-Putin Alaska summit, with Pokrovsk in Kremlin sights.
Russia has recorded its biggest 24-hour advance into Ukraine in more than a year, seizing or claiming 110 square kilometres on August 12, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War. The gains come just days before US President Donald Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Moscow, which controls about 19% of Ukraine, said it had captured two villages near Dobropillia. Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin announced a mandatory evacuation of families with children from Bilozerske and nearby settlements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted Russian troops had advanced up to 10 kilometres but vowed to “destroy them.”
Military analysts warn losing Pokrovsk, a key city in Donbas, could cripple Ukraine’s supply lines. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region, causing a large fire. Regional officials reported three deaths from Russian strikes in southern Kherson. The escalation underscores the mounting pressure on Kyiv ahead of the high-profile summit.