A sudden infiltration of Russian units through one of Ukraine's most crucial defensive lines has exposed the embattled nation's critical manpower disadvantage just as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to discuss the future of the war with his Russian counterpart.

While the extent of Russia's thrust toward the critical supply hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province is still unclear, analysts and former officials say the penetration speaks to a persistent problem for Kyiv that has the potential to also influence the White House's perception going into Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin .

"It reinforces the acknowledgement that Ukraine has a military disadvantage here," Dan Caldwell, who recently served as senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Heg

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