With All Eyes on Kursk, Russia Claims Significant Gains Along Eastern Front

Ukraine is evacuating civilians as Russian forces advance on two strategic towns in Donetsk.

Servicemen of the Achilles Battalion from the 92nd assault brigade of the Ukrainian Army control a Vampire hexacopter drone during a mission flight over a frontline near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 1, 2024. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

As fighting continues to rage in Russia’s Kursk region amid an ongoing Ukrainian cross-border offensive, Russian forces in Donetsk have registered gains, according to reports from both sides of the conflict.

On Aug. 19, Russia’s defense ministry said that its forces had captured Donetsk’s town of Zalizne (Artyomovo in Russian).