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Russia claims capture of two Ukrainian towns ahead of Trump-Putin summit
The Russian military announced on Thursday the capture of two settlements in eastern Donetsk Oblast, as tensions rise ahead of the high-stakes Trump–Putin summit scheduled in Alaska.
In its daily bulletin, Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the seizure of the village of Iskra and the nearby town of Shcherbynivka, both located within the region where heavy fighting persists.
Shcherbynivka lies close to the mining town of Toretsk—captured by Russian forces in February—and near Kostiantynivka, a strategic Ukrainian stronghold now under threat of encirclement . Iskra is situated further south within the same contested zone.
President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged a Russian penetration of around 10 km in Donetsk this week, though he downplayed its significance.
Additional sources report that Russian forces made their largest single-day territorial advance in over a year, claiming 110 km² on August 12, underscoring a renewed offensive intensity.