Russia ramps up offensives on 2 fronts in Ukraine as both sides seek an advantage before fall
Share this @internewscast.com

A resurgent Russia has intensified military offensives on two fronts in Ukraine, dispersing Kyiv’s vital reserve troops and posing a threat to extend the conflict into a new Ukrainian region, as both sides strive for an upper hand before the autumn slows the fighting.

According to analysts and military commanders, Moscow seeks to optimize its territorial gains before giving serious thought to a complete ceasefire. Meanwhile, Ukraine aims to stall the Russian advance as long as possible and inflict substantial losses.

Kremlin forces are progressively advancing in the strategically important eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Capturing this area would provide them with a significant battlefield triumph and push them closer to taking control of the entire Donetsk region. This conflict has also brought combat activities to the doorstep of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time.

In an effort to prevent Moscow from bolstering those positions in the east, Ukrainian forces are trying to pin down some of Russia’s best and most battle-hardened troops hundreds of kilometers away, in the northeast Sumy region.

“The best-case scenario for Ukraine,” said Russian-British military historian Sergey Radchenko, “is that they’re able to stall or stop the Russian advance” in the Ukrainian industrial heartland known as Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Then Ukraine could “use that as the basis for a ceasefire agreement.”

“There’s a better chance for Russia to come to some kind of terms with Ukraine” in the fall when the Russians “see the extent of their offensive,” Radchenko added.

While the battles rage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is waiting to learn whether the Trump administration will support tougher sanctions against Russia and back a European idea to establish a “reassurance force” to deter Moscow.

One setback came with the US decision to halt some weapons shipments out of concern over the US’s own depleted stockpiles.

Ukraine faces relentless assaults in Sumy

In the Sumy region, Ukrainian forces face a constant barrage of aerial glide bombs, drones and relentless assaults by small groups of Russian infantrymen. They endure the attacks to prevent Russian forces from being moved to other battlegrounds in the eastern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces intensified their own attacks in Sumy in April and even conducted a small offensive into Russia’s neighboring Kursk region to prevent up to 60,000 battle-hardened Russian forces from being moved to reinforce positions in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Ukraine’s top army commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said last week.

If those troops had been moved, they could have increased the tempo of Russian attacks across the front line and stretched Ukrainian forces thin.

The strategy did not come without criticism. Commanders who were ordered to execute it complained that it resulted in unnecessary loss of life.

Russian forces have penetrated up to 7 kilometers into the northern Sumy region from different directions along the border.

Ukrainian forces are determined to keep them there to avoid freeing up Russian forces to fight in the east. So far they have succeeded, locking up to 10,000 Russian troops in the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region alone, where Ukraine maintains a small presence after being mostly forced out by Russian and North Korean troops earlier in the year.

Russia seeks maximum gains in Donetsk

The war’s largest battle is being waged in Donetsk as Russia inches toward its stated goal of capturing all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Unable to tackle the strategically significant logistical hub of Pokrovsk directly, Russian forces are attempting to encircle the city, a maneuver that requires encroaching on the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Bringing the war to a sixth Ukrainian region would be detrimental for Ukrainian morale and give Russia more leverage in negotiations if its forces manage to carve out a foothold there.

Sabotage groups have crossed the border, only to be eliminated by Ukrainian forces.

But in time, commanders fear that Russia will advance as Ukraine continues to grapple with severe shortages.

Lack of soldiers and supplies across the 745-mile front line mean that Ukrainian forces must concentrate on holding their positions and conserving resources rather than advancing, said Oleksii Makhrinskyi, deputy commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion.

Commanders describe battles so intense under drone-saturated skies that rotating forces in and out of position has become a deadly operation. Ukrainian forces remain in combat positions for several weeks at a time or more, relying on supplies carried in by drones.

The Russians’ goal “is just to enter Dnipropetrovsk region, to have a good position politically if the presidents negotiate peace,” said Andrii Nazerenko, a commander of the 72nd Brigade, a drone unit in eastern Ukraine, referring to potential talks between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“They’re really close to getting what they want,” he said.

All eyes on Trump’s next move

Zelensky hopes US President Donald Trump will move away from his administration’s past ambivalence toward Ukraine and signal his intention to continue American support, a move that could also alter Moscow’s calculations.

The two presidents met last week on the sidelines of a NATO summit and discussed a possible weapons package, including Patriot missile systems that Ukraine intends to purchase with European support.

The US Defense Department did not specify which weapons were being held back, when they disclosed the Pentagon review of US weapons stockpiles Tuesday.

Zelensky also hopes Trump will punish Russia by imposing harsher sanctions on its energy and banking sectors, which bankroll the Kremlin’s war effort.

Europe and the US have imposed successive sanctions on Russia since the full-scale invasion in 2022, but Zelensky says those measures have not been enough to pierce Moscow’s war machine. He has proposed a $30 per barrel price cap on Russian oil.

EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan said Europe needs to maintain the sanctions pressure while also “holding out the prospect that if Russia behaves correctly, we could have some kind of ceasefire and some kind of sense of negotiation, but for the moment Russia doesn’t seem to want that.”

Kyiv’s closest European allies are also awaiting a sign from Trump that he will support a plan to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine to guard against future Russian aggression after a ceasefire agreement. That is likely the best security guarantee Ukraine can hope for in lieu of NATO membership.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Russian forces appear increasingly confident.

Nazerenko noticed a shift in the morale of advancing Russian infantrymen in recent months. Instead of running away while being assailed by Ukrainian drones, they keep pushing forward.

Nazerenko could not help but ask a Russian prisoner, “You know you will die. Why go?”

Because, the Russian soldier replied, “we will win.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Bin strike war could cost Labour millions as loyal union threatens to withhold funding after suspending Angela Rayner

Garbage Strike Dispute May Cost Labour Party Millions as Key Union Warns of Potential Funding Withdrawal After Angela Rayner Suspension

MILLIONS of pounds in funding to Labour could be in jeopardy as…
The NEA's antisemitic ADL split: Letters

The NEA and ADL Division: Examining the Antisemitic Allegations

The Issue: The National Education Association cuts ties with the Anti-Defamation League.…
Las Vegas security guard Kegia Mitchell sentenced for killing customer Thomas Martin over COVID-19 protocols

Las Vegas Security Officer Kegia Mitchell Sentenced for Fatal Incident Involving COVID-19 Protocols

A security guard from Las Vegas received a prison sentence ranging from…
Andre Agassi snaps at commentator over celebrity Wimbledon questions

Andre Agassi Responds Firmly to Commentator’s Celebrity Wimbledon Inquiries

Andre Agassi is at Wimbledon to talk tennis, not to fawn over…
Ex-Jaguars employee convicted of stealing $22M from team now faces state charges

Former Jaguars Worker Convicted of $22M Theft Now Faces State Charges

Amit Patel, 32, was admitted into the Duval County Jail Tuesday afternoon…
'High Potential' star Javicia Leslie teases a villain twist you won't see coming: "You'll never guess who it was." 

‘High Potential’ Star Javicia Leslie Hints at Unexpected Villain Plot Twist: “You’ll Be Surprised Who It Is.”

LOS ANGELES — The filming of Season 2 of “High Potential” on…
Kendra G, Raven Smith join Windy City Weekend; Val and Ryan talk Bud Billiken Parade, Windy City Smokeout, new movies

Kendra G and Raven Smith Team Up on ‘Windy City Weekend’; Val and Ryan Discuss Bud Billiken Parade, Windy City Smokeout, and Upcoming Movies.

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Friday morning, Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini invited…
Marcus Stroman's 'gritty performance' kept Yankees in it early

Marcus Stroman’s Determined Effort Keeps Yankees Contending Initially

Late-game Yankees heroics? Sure, but how about another “gritty” five-inning start from…
Canadian police official warns 'traditional values' may be sign a person is becoming 'extremist'

Canadian Police Officer Cautions that ‘Traditional Values’ Could Indicate Emerging Extremism

A spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cautioned on Tuesday…
EMBARGOED TO 0001 SUNDAY JULY 6 File photo dated 10/06/25 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a reception for London Tech Week, at no 10 Downing Street, London. Sir Keir Starmer has been urged not to "punish" children by keeping the two-child cap following Labour's U-turn on benefit cuts. The SNP urged the Prime Minister to end the limit amid reports it could stay as a result of Labour scrapping most of its welfare reforms. Issue date: Sunday July 6, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Keir Affirms His Commitment to ‘Island of Strangers’ Message, Emphasizing the Need for UK to Be an Integrated Society

SIR Keir Starmer has affirmed his ongoing commitment to the message behind…

Grandpa’s Last Seen Moments on Video: Wife Shares Concern Over His ‘Confused’ Departure

GAS station footage has revealed the last moments a doting grandfather was…
Missing 3-year-old Alabama child found safe following statewide manhunt for father

Three-Year-Old in Alabama Safely Located After Father Triggers Statewide Search

AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) – The 3-year-old boy at the focus of a…