Overview

• Russian forces have advanced roughly six miles past Ukrainian lines near Dobropillia and Kramatorsk, marking verified tactical penetrations in eastern Donetsk this week.
• Ukraine has dispatched reserves to the Donetsk front and is engaged in heavy fighting to block further Russian consolidation of newly seized positions.
• The Institute for the Study of War and other analysts caution that it remains premature to call an operational breakthrough but warn that the recent gains could widen into a larger offensive if unaddressed.
• President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Anchorage on August 15 in a summit described by the White House as a “listening exercise” that excludes Ukraine.
• European leaders are coordinating calls with Washington to oppose any deal that recognizes territorial changes by force and to insist on Kyiv’s direct participation before land-swap discussions.