Russian Advances Prompt Mass Evacuations, Deserters in Donetsk, Zaporizhia

As Russian forces advance closer to Ukrainian towns such as Kostyantynivka and Dobropillia, residents are fleeing amid intensifying attacks, including drone strikes and glide bombings that have caused casualties and widespread destruction. The frontline's approach has forced evacuations, with aid workers reporting over a thousand people displaced recently, while those remaining express skepticism about any imminent ceasefire despite U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings to Moscow. Meanwhile, within Russian ranks, there is notable disorder, with reports of mass desertions from the 247th Airborne Assault Regiment in occupied Zaporizhia and a mutiny in Luhansk where deserters shot a commander and others. The human toll of the conflict is exemplified by tragic incidents such as the killing of two sisters and their mother in a Russian strike on Kyiv, highlighting the severe impact on civilians, including internally displaced families seeking safety. These developments underscore the escalating violence and instability in eastern Ukraine, marked by both military setbacks for Russian forces and profound suffering for Ukrainian civilians.