Map showing Russia's advances on the battlefield

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have advanced into the Donetsk region while Ukraine has made some small advances in Belgorod.

Geolocation images show that on March 29, Russian troops expanded their control to the east and northeast of Kupiansk. Pro-Moscow military bloggers also confirmed the success of these attacks.

ISW reported that Russia had advanced into the western suburbs of Toretsk and southwest of Pokrovsk. However, at a key logistics center in the rear area, a Ukrainian brigade held off a Russian attack.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army continues to put pressure on Belgorod, a region on Russia’s western border that borders Sumy, Kharkiv and Luhansk provinces. This is also where Russia has launched many previous attacks.

Source: ISW

Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst at the Finnish-based Black Bird Group, said Ukraine had reached Demidovka and may have taken control of one or two other border villages. But he said the chances of Ukraine mustering enough forces to make a major breakthrough in Belgorod were low, and the operation was unlikely to threaten Russia’s supply lines or key cities.

Kastehelmi also assessed that this direction of attack did not bring much strategic value and did not have a significant element of surprise. He commented that the Russian military presence in the area was still strong enough to maintain defensive operations, making it difficult for Ukraine to effectively expand the offensive.

On the diplomatic front, the Kremlin said it was maintaining relations with the US. Mr Trump also warned President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Kiev could have a “big problem” if it did not agree to a mineral deal in exchange for US aid.

Meanwhile, Russia and the US have begun talks on joint mineral mining projects, an area of ​​particular interest to Mr Trump as he seeks to counter China’s dominance in rare earths. Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), confirmed that the discussions took place in Saudi Arabia.

Regarding military cooperation, the New York Times revealed that Ukrainian generals were working with the US military in Germany to plan the war. The US base in Wiesbaden provided coordinates of Russian forces, while the CIA helped identify targets, including Moscow's command posts in Ukraine.

Ngoc Anh (according to Newsweek, ISW, NYT)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ban-do-cho-thay-buoc-tien-cua-nga-tren-chien-truong-post340946.html