Russia makes major breakthrough in Ukraine ahead of Alaska summit

Russian forces have made a major breakthrough in eastern Ukraine ahead of a planned summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump.

Putin has reportedly offered to pause the fighting should Ukraine withdraw from the Donetsk region, which currently is home to much of the fighting and several key Ukrainian fortresses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Union leaders have loudly objected to any territorial concessions.

The breakthrough occurred north of the besieged city of Pokrovsk, with Russian direct reconnaissance groups (DRGs) breakthrough the Ukrainian back line to the east of Dobropillia, a local logistics hub supplying the Ukrainian defense. 

The advance has been confirmed by the Ukraine-government-aligned Deepstate Maps, as well as independent war mappers. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War has partially confirmed the advance. It remains unclear whether Russian forces have physically severed the highway between Dobropillia and the fortress city of Kramatorsk.

The situation is extremely fluid and a further Russian advance could see Ukrainian forces trapped in an encirclement across much of the Donbass front.

Neither Trump nor Putin have commented on the breakthrough, nor its potential implications for the Alaska summit as of press time.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.