Following the conclusion of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, in Alaska, discussions regarding a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire yielded no results. Prior to this summit, Russia advanced in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, raising concerns that it was solidifying its position amidst negotiations aimed at ending the war. Ahead of the summit, Moscow’s forces launched an offensive in the industrial sector of Ukraine, attempting to seize Pokrovsk, a key city and significant railway junction in eastern Donetsk. Multiple attempts were made to breach Russia’s defense lines during that week. Media reports indicated that Pokrovsk was partially encircled as Putin and Trump prepared to meet. Recent reports state that Russian forces had captured the villages of Yablunivka and Oleksandrivka in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Zelensky, who dismissed Putin’s demand for Kyiv to relinquish control of the remaining 30% of Donetsk, downplayed the Russian advance. He asserted that his forces were resisting and increasing pressure on the occupiers.
Zelensky noted, before the Alaska meeting, that the Russian military was suffering heavy losses as it attempted to gain a more favorable political position. He stated that they understood this strategy and were keeping their allies informed of the actual situation.
Russia had illegally annexed Donetsk, along with Luhansk, in 2022, creating the two eastern Donbas regions, along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In a separate incident, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak, a ballistic missile struck the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine on Friday, resulting in one death and at least one injury. The city of Dnipro, a logistical hub for the Ukrainian army, is located near the war zone and is regularly targeted by Russian forces.
Also on Friday, the Ukrainian military reported that it had launched an overnight attack on the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, which is one of the largest refineries in the Rosneft network. The Samara regional governor said a drone attack caused a fire at an industrial enterprise in their region, which was quickly extinguished.
The Ukrainian military also stated that it had attacked the Caspian port of Olya in Russia’s Astrakhan region on Thursday, targeting a ship carrying drone parts and ammunition from Iran to Russia.
The Ukrainian military has not confirmed whether it used drones, as it usually does, for its recent long-range attacks. It says that its intensified attacks aim to diminish Russia’s capacity to wage the full-scale war launched in February 2022. During the week of August 7-13, approximately 535 Russian drones and missiles were launched at Ukraine. Ukraine intercepted about two-thirds of them, while Moscow’s forces launched eight missiles at Ukraine, of which five penetrated its defenses.