After U.S. Trip, Zelensky Returns to an Enduring War

President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Ukraine this weekend from a high-stakes diplomatic trip to the United States with limited new aid for his armed forces and mounting challenges on the battlefield.While the Ukrainian leader was busy trying to rally support from the Biden administration and meeting with former President Donald J.Trump, Russian forces were pressing their grinding advance in Ukraine’s east, capturing more villages and closing in on a key Ukrainian stronghold.They also continued their assault on Ukrainian cities, killing 10 in Sumy, in the northeast, in a strike on Saturday, while maintaining their attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and energy facilities.

Ukraine, for its part, struck several Russian ammunition depots in an attempt to disrupt Moscow’s military logistics.Here’s a closer look at the current situation on the battlefield.Russia presses ahead in the eastFor the past few months, Russia has concentrated its attacks on the area around Pokrovsk, a road and rail hub in eastern Ukraine, and Moscow’s forces are within about five miles of the city.The capture of Pokrovsk would seriously disrupt the Ukrainian Army’s logistical lines in the surrounding Donetsk region.After making quick progress toward Pokrovsk, Russia’s direct advance has slowed in recent weeks.

Its troops have run up against a line of Ukrainian fortifications, strengthened by reinforcements sent by Kyiv, defending the city’s outskirts.Ukrainian soldiers and military experts say they now expect a more protracted battle for Pokrovsk that could lead to the city’s being seized after a sustained bombing campaign, similar to Russia’s earlier assaults on cities such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for y...