Sawt Falasteen - Russia in major Ukraine advance as Europe braces for Trump-Putin meet

With the world's eyes on the looming Alaska summit, Russia has made rapid advances this week in a narrow but important section of the front line in Ukraine.

According to an AFP analysis of battlefield data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces made their biggest 24-hour advance into Ukraine in more than a year on Tuesday.

The head of the Donetsk region on Wednesday ordered civilians with children to evacuate from towns and villages under threat.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Berlin and met Chancellor Friedrich Merz before both were joined online by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders as well as the heads of the EU and NATO.

All of them were then to have a second call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, hoping to convince Trump to respect Kyiv's interests during Friday's summit with Putin.

Zelensky has not been invited to the Alaska meeting, fuelling fears Kyiv could be forced into painful concessions.

The Russian foreign ministry branded the frantic round of diplomacy "politically and practically insignificant" and an attempt at "sabotaging" US and Russian efforts to end the conflict.

Ukrainian soldiers in Kramatorsk, an eastern city about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front, said they had low expectations for Trump's meeting with Putin and talks with Zelensky.

"There have already been so many negotiations between the heads of state, but nothing is changing," 21-year-old Dmytro told AFP. "If something changes for the better, I will be only happy."

- 'New offensive operations' -

An AFP analysis of data from Institute for the Study of War showed that the Russian army took or claimed 110 square kilometres (42.5 square miles) on August 12 compared to the previous day. It was the most since late May 2024.

In recent months, Moscow has typically taken five or six days to progress at such a pace, although Russian advances have accelerated in recent weeks.

Zelensky acknowledged Tuesday that Russian troops had advanced by up to 10 kilometres (six miles) near the eastern coal mining town of Dobropillia, but said that Kyiv would soon "destroy them".

"We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations," he said.

Russia -- which currently has full or partial control over 19 percent of Ukrainian territory -- said Wednesday that it had taken two villages close to Dobropillia.

Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin said the region was beginning the mandatory evacuation of families with children from the town of Bilozerske and a dozen other settlements.

The Russian military also fired at least 49 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the night, the Ukrainian air force said.

At least three people were killed in Russian artillery and drone attacks on the southern Kherson region, according to regional officials.

Artem, a 30-year-old serviceman in Kramatorsk, said the war would likely continue for "a long time".

"Putin is massing an army, his army is growing, he is stockpiling weapons, he is pulling the wool over our eyes," he said.

- 'Fair peace' -

Ahead of his arrival in Berlin, Zelensky, whose team has spoken with more than 30 international allies in a few days, said "pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a fair peace".

German government spokesman Steffen Meyer said the main aim of Wednesday's talks was to ensure that "Ukraine must be able to determine its own destiny and take control of its own future".

"No decisions should be made over the heads of the Ukrainian people," he said.

Trump on Monday played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin.

"This is really a feel-out meeting a little bit," Trump said. But he added that eventually "there'll be some swapping, there'll be some changes in land".

Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the aim was "for the president to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war".

"I think this is a listening exercise for the president."

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