Days before the leaders of Russia and the U.S. hold a summit meeting in Alaska, Moscow’s forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of infiltrations this week in the country’s industrial heartland of Donetsk.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday Russia was continuing to attack Ukraine ahead of a summit in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, but its attempt to "show strength" with a new assault in the east had failed.

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of easing ahead of Trump and Putin's meeting. On Thursday, Ukraine ordered an evacuation of families with children from the town of Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region as intense fighting continued in the area.