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### Why It Matters
Putin began his trip at Tianjin, a northern Chinese city, where he will participate in a security summit with leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. Prior to the conference, Xi and Modi pledged to strengthen strategic ties amid tariffs on their exports to the U.S.
### What to Know
The summit, which lasts two days, includes participation from various world leaders such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Following the security conference, China will showcase new military hardware during a September 3 parade, including weapons never before seen in public.
The “V-Day” event marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the official end of World War II in the Pacific. Xi is expected to survey tens of thousands of People’s Liberation Army troops parading with some of their most advanced weaponry at Tiananmen Square, alongside foreign leaders including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
No Western leaders are expected to attend due to differences over the war in Ukraine.
### Ukraine War Grinds On
Russian forces attempted a two-pronged attack around Dobropillia, northwest of Pokrovsk, but were “cut off,” according to Viktor Trebugov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces. Unspecified numbers of Russian soldiers are reportedly hiding nearby and will likely be defeated soon due to their isolation from supply lines.
A popular Ukrainian war blog, Deep State, reported earlier that Russian troops had been actively advancing around Dobropillia. The town is connected to several “fortress cities” critical to Ukraine’s defense in the Donetsk region, namely Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, and Kramatorsk.
Trebugov stated that Russia deployed approximately 110,000 soldiers close to Pokrovsk in early summer but reduced this number to roughly 100,000.
### What People Are Saying
The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia had recently advanced northeast of Pokrovsk, in the village of Novoekonomichne to the southeast of Dobropillia.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Sunday that its forces targeted Ukrainian troops in several Donetsk settlements, including Pokrovsk.
### What Happens Next
Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and attend a major military parade in Beijing alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
