Russia Registers Largest Single-Day Advance in Ukraine in Over a Year
The Russian military made its most significant progress in Ukraine in over a year on August 12, capturing or claiming 110 square kilometers, ahead of the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This increase marks the largest gain since May 2024, reports 24brussels.
Historically, such rapid advances have taken Moscow five or six days, although the pace of Russian operations has quickened in recent weeks. The leaders of both nations are set to convene in Alaska on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian forces advanced by approximately 10 kilometers near the eastern coal mining town of Dobropillia, asserting that Kyiv would soon “destroy them.”
Following these developments, Russia announced on August 13 that it had captured two villages adjacent to Dobropillia. To date, 70 percent of Russia’s gains this year have occurred in the Donetsk region, which the Kremlin annexed in September 2022.
As of August 12, Moscow claims control over 79 percent of Donetsk, a notable increase from 62 percent a year prior. The Russian military has sought to capture the mining town of Pokrovsk for over 18 months, following its takeover of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Kyiv now faces threats to the last two major cities under its control in the region, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the latter of which serves as a critical logistical hub. Notably, Russian advancements have accelerated each month since April, with the army capturing more than 6,100 square kilometers between August 12, 2024, and August 12, 2025—four times the area seized in the previous year, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War.
Despite these territorial gains, Russian advances encompass less than one percent of pre-war Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea and the Donbass region. Currently, Russia exerts full or partial control over 19 percent of Ukrainian territory.
