
Russia is rushing to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of peace talks with US President Donald Trump on Friday.
In what could be a major breakthrough for Vladimir Putin, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units penetrated through exposed defenses in eastern Ukraine, entering up to 10 kilometers behind the front line in just 48 hours, according to reports from the battlefield.
Kiev has diverted special forces units to confront insurgents on the ground, in an effort to prevent more parts of Ukraine from falling under Russia's control ahead of the highly anticipated summit in Alaska.
The location, near Dobropillya in Donetsk, is strategically important. If Moscow's forces are able to establish a foothold, it could allow Russia to isolate the city of Kramatorsk, one of the most important fortresses in Donbas that is still under Kiev's control.
If the city falls, it would give Putin almost complete control over Donbas and strengthen his negotiating power when negotiating Ukraine's fate with the Trump administration.
The seized territory lies east of Dobropillya, north of Pokrovsk and within striking distance of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka - the so-called "fortress belt" that has anchored Ukraine's Donetsk defenses since 2014.
Open-source mapping group DeepState reports that Russian units are pushing towards the Dobropillya-Kramatorsk highway, which until mid-July held both military convoys and civilian traffic. Russian troops are also searching for key points in Petrivka and Novovodian, across the road.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's military confirmed fighting around Kucheriv Yar, acknowledging Russian advances. Without giving details on the location, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said Russia was preparing "new offensive operations".
The new corridor puts Dobropillya under direct threat. The mining town, already hit by repeated drone attacks, is being emptied as civilians flee.