Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday the capture of Illinka and Petrivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The ministry also reported shooting down 55 Ukrainian drones over 24 hours. These battlefield developments come amid escalating tensions and ongoing clashes. According to open-source data, Russian forces now control just under 20 percent of Ukrainian territory and have advanced in Donetsk at a pace unseen since March 2022. The troops are reportedly nearing Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, a key site for coking coal essential to Ukraine’s steel industry. NN: The Ukrainians need to make a deal before they are completely sliced and diced