In a significant development, the Russian army has made its largest advance in Ukraine in over a year, capturing or claiming 110 square kilometers of territory. This comes just days before a crucial meeting between President Putin and the U.S. President in Alaska, where the Ukraine conflict will be a key topic. Ukrainian President Zelenskyj suggests the move aims to project Russian strength ahead of the talks.
Russia's Largest Military Advance in Ukraine in Over a Year
Analysis: Russia's Largest Military Advance in a Year
The Russian army has made its largest advance in Ukraine in a single day in over a year, according to AFP's analysis of data from the think tank ISW.
As diplomatic talks continue, so does the war.
Russia captured or claimed 110 square kilometers of Ukrainian land on Tuesday, August 12. This is the largest advance since the end of May 2024.
In recent months, it usually took five or six days to advance at such a pace. However, the army has accelerated in recent weeks.
Zelenskyj: Aiming to Give the Impression That Russia is Winning
The advances come just days before Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets his U.S. counterpart in Alaska on Friday, where the Ukraine war and potential territorial exchanges will be discussed. Zelenskyj is not invited to the meeting but writes in a post on X that "issues concerning Ukraine's and Europe's security are discussed by all of us together."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said on Tuesday, according to CNN, that the purpose of the advances is to give the impression ahead of the meeting "that Russia is moving forward, advancing, and that Ukraine is losing."
About 70 percent of Russia's advances in Ukraine this year have been in Donetsk – part of the eastern so-called Donbass region that Putin claims. After Tuesday's advances, Moscow claims control over 79 percent of Donetsk.
According to Ukraine, Russia is preparing for an offensive in three directions:
The main directions are Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka, Zelenskyj said on Tuesday.
On the night to Wednesday, Russia fired 49 drones at Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military. Russia's air force claims that on Wednesday morning, they shot down 17 Ukrainian drones fired at the Belgorod area and destroyed 46 Ukrainian drones overnight.
On Wednesday, Russia's military also claimed to have captured two more villages near Dobropillia, close to the contested Pokrovsk in Donetsk. Russia has been trying to capture the mining town of Pokrovsk for more than 18 months.
Ukraine is evacuating families with children from the town of Bilozerske and other communities nearby threatened by the Russian advances. According to Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin, there are about 1,150 children in areas covered by the evacuation order.