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Russian Forces Advance Toward Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk in Eastern Ukraine
Russian troops are pushing toward Kostiantynivka in Donetsk while claiming captures in Sumy, denied by Ukraine, as drone strikes kill civilians in Kherson. US plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany include a missile battalion, and President Trump discussed a potential ceasefire with Putin. North Korea highlights youth role in supporting Russia's war efforts.
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Russian forces are advancing toward the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to Ukraine's army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He stated that counter-sabotage measures are underway in the area, which forms part of a fortified belt defended by Ukrainian military.
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A Ukrainian mapping project indicates Russian control extends about one kilometer from the city's southern outskirts. Russia's defense ministry announced it seized the village of Myropillia in Ukraine's northern Sumy region to establish a buffer zone.
Ukrainian military units dismissed this as false, asserting control over the area. Separately, a Russian airstrike in Sumy injured six people near Krovelets, with two in serious condition, according to the regional governor.
In southern Ukraine, a Russian drone strike on a minibus in Kherson killed two people and wounded seven, local officials reported. Hours later, another minibus attack in the city wounded the driver, said regional head Oleksandr Prokudin. On the Black Sea coast, a Russian strike damaged port infrastructure in Odesa, with no casualties reported.
Ukraine has faced ongoing air assaults since Russia's invasion over four years ago. In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted unusual activity on the Belarusian border, stating Ukraine is monitoring the situation and prepared to respond if needed.
Belarus has served as a staging ground for Russian troops.
The US plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, including a battalion equipped with long-range Tomahawk missiles. German defense minister Boris Pistorius said this should encourage Europe to bolster its own defenses. Two top US Republican lawmakers expressed concern, arguing the troops should remain in Europe. He suggested a brief halt to hostilities.
