Ukraine Advances in Donetsk as Russia Fails to Gain Ground Across Northern Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces have advanced south of Dobropillia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, while Russian attacks in northern Kharkiv region again failed to produce confirmed gains, according to an Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessment published on August 20.

“Geolocated footage published on August 20 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northwestern Vodyanske (south of Dobropillia),” the US-based analysts said.

Russian sources have also claimed advances in the same sector, but ISW said there is currently no evidence confirming those claims.

Russian forces have, however, made a confirmed recent advance southwest of Pokrovsk, according to the assessment.

Farther north, Russian troops continued offensive operations in northern Kharkiv region over the previous two days but failed to make confirmed progress as Ukrainian forces carried out additional successful counterattacks.

“Russian forces attacked in the Borova and Kupiansk directions on August 20 as Ukrainian forces counterattacked north of Kupiansk, but ISW has not observed evidence of Russian advances,” the analysts said.

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ISW also noted that Russian forces are increasing the tempo of strikes in the Kupiansk direction, which could indicate preparations for future ground assaults in the area.

At the same time, the institute warned that Moscow is increasingly relying on manipulated battlefield imagery to support claims of territorial gains that cannot be independently verified.

“Russian forces also continue to use artificial intelligence-altered footage to make false claims of advances,” ISW said.

Previously, Ukrainian forces disrupted another Russian offensive effort in the Sumy region, while Russian troops also failed to make confirmed gains across several sectors of the northern Kharkiv region.

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