While American and Russian delegations are finalizing the details of the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, the front of the Russian-Ukrainian war is not calming down. Quite the opposite.

Russian troops have advanced about 11 kilometers (7 miles) inland from the Ukrainian-held part of Donetsk region near the town of Dobropillya, threatening a vital supply route in eastern Ukraine and the town itself, with some raising the alarm that Dobropillya could fall faster than the town of Pokrovsk, around which the Russian army has been tightening its noose for months.

The Ukrainian army, meanwhile, has said that its troops are making every effort to get the Russians out of there.

According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Moscow is trying to make territorial gains ahead of the upcoming Trump-Putin summit to demonstrate its superiority on the battlefield. Analysts point out that it is premature to call the Russian advance at Dobropilje an operational breakthrough, but it is clear that the Russians are trying to do just that – turn a tactical success into a breakthrough.

According to ISW, the coming days will show whether they will succeed.

Threat to supply

What is the significance of the mining town of Dobropilěa, which had a population of around 30,000 before the war? It is an important supply hub for the neighboring town of Pokrovsk. A threat to Dobropilěa therefore also threatens Pokrovsk. Supplies to Dobropilěa come mainly from the regional center of Kramatorsk. With their rapid advance on the map, the Russians have now practically driven a wedge into one of the logistical links – the route has now come under their fire control.