U.S. media: The Russian army launched an attack on Ukraine before the U.S.-Russia talks.

On August 12, Jin10 data reported that the Russian military has recently made a sudden advance into eastern Ukraine. Russian leader Putin aims to gain a battlefield advantage before talks with Trump on Friday. Analysts and soldiers indicate that the (Russian) infantry’s penetration has advanced several miles near the Ukrainian city of Dobropillya. This is a rare action in the conflict. The Ukrainian military stated that they are counterattacking in the area, claiming that Russian squads have breached Ukraine’s first line of defense and bypassed the defensive works that Ukraine has been constructing for months. The question now is whether Russia can widen the gap and further penetrate areas that are inadequately prepared for defense, thereby solidifying its advantage. If the Russian military succeeds, they will be able to exert greater pressure on the eastern city of Donetsk, which is still under Kyiv’s control, while Russia’s offensive may bolster Putin’s strength ahead of talks scheduled in Alaska this week. The Kremlin claims that Donetsk is part of Russia and will push for U.S. recognition of Russia’s control over the region and beyond at the summit.