Russian forces continued their advance in Ukraine on Monday, securing significant territorial gains as international attention centered on potential peace talks and a high-profile phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Sunday, Russian troops captured the town of Nova Poltavka, situated north of the strategically important T0504 highway, which connects the cities of Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka. The consolidation of Russian positions north of the highway indicates that they have successfully severed direct communication lines between these two key urban centers, previously vital supply hubs for Ukrainian forces in northern Donbas.
While recent attention has primarily focused on the defense of Pokrovsk, Russian troops are steadily tightening the siege around Konstantinovka. Should the city fall in the future, it could pave the way for a broader Russian offensive aimed at Kramatorsk and Slovyansk—two of the Ukrainian military’s major strongholds in the region and where the command center for the Ukrainian military for the Donbas region is located.
By late Monday, Russian units had reportedly advanced further north toward the town of Poltavka. If captured, this position would enable Russian forces to disrupt another minor supply route into Konstantinovka, further constricting Ukrainian logistical support to the city.
To the east, Russian troops seized the town of Romanovka, posing a direct threat to a Ukrainian garrison now encircled in a pocket west of Toretsk.
Meanwhile, videos and Ukrainian reports circulating on social media indicate that Russian forces are increasingly targeting the Kramatorsk–Dobropillya highway with drone strikes. Now operating within 20 miles (33 kilometers) of the route, Russian units are significantly impairing Ukrainian military logistics along what has become the primary supply and communication corridor between Pokrovsk and Ukrainian headquarters in Kramatorsk.
Despite the worsening battlefield conditions, global media coverage has remained limited—likely due to both a reluctance in Western outlets to spotlight the deteriorating situation and the international diplomatic focus on Monday’s Trump-Putin call.
According to official readouts, President Trump and President Putin discussed the ongoing conflict and agreed on the importance of continuing direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.