Moscow: The Russian military on Tuesday launched a surprise attack on areas adjacent to the Ukrainian city of Dobropillia in a step aimed at mounting pressure on Ukraine to cede territories, ahead of the US and Russian Presidents' meeting next Friday in Alaska.
The Russian military forces advanced rapidly by up to 10 km northward along two axes over the past few days, as part of efforts to gain full control over the Donetsk region, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported in a statement.
It noted the infiltration of a battalion near three villages in a sector of the front connected to the Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka.
Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov said the Russian forces managed to advance due to what he called a "partial collapse on the front" caused by a shortage of Ukrainian soldiers, adding that Ukraine redeployed elite forces in an attempt to thwart the advance.
He considered this breakthrough a gift for Putin and Trump during the negotiations, stressing that this move might increase pressure on Ukraine to ultimately give up some territories in order to prevent the Russian military from forcibly taking control over the rest of Donetsk.
Spokesperson for the Ukrainian army Viktor Trehubov said that small groups are crossing the defensive lines, and that this does not amount to a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky openly opposes the idea of conceding territory to Russia, stating that any peace agreement must be just.
The Russian pressure came ahead of the Trump-Putin summit to discuss avenues for ending the war in Ukraine.
