MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian forces have made a sudden thrust into eastern Ukraine east of the mining town of Dobropillia in a move that Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers say could become a serious problem for Kyiv if left unchecked.
Ukraine’s authoritative DeepState war map showed on Tuesday that Russian forces had quickly advanced north in two prongs covering as much as 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), part of their drive to take full control of Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
DeepState said they had advanced near three villages on a section of the frontline associated with the two Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka.
The Russian thrust comes days ahead of a summit in Alaska on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin where the two leaders are expected to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Tatarigami_UA, a former Ukrainian army officer whose Frontelligence Insight analysis tracks the conflict closely, said the Russian move had the potential to escalate dangerously if not nipped in the bud.
“This is critical. In both 2014 and 2015, Russia launched major offensives ahead of negotiations to gain leverage. The current situation is serious, but far from the collapse some suggest,” Tatarigami wrote on X.
(Reporting by Andrew OsbornEditing by Guy Faulconbridge)
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