Russian Military Thrust Tests Key Ukrainian Frontline

Ukraine’s military has played down the scale of the advance while sending additional troops to the Donetsk frontline, saying the situation has stabilized.

A ruined city center in Kostyantynivka in Donetsk on April 19, 2025. Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP

This week, the world’s attention was focused largely on the landmark summit between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska.

But preparations for the event have coincided with significant military developments in Donetsk, where Russian forces this week staged a sudden thrust several miles into Ukrainian-held territory.