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Ukraine Claims Russian Summer Offensive Falls Short of Strategic Goals

A firefighter works at the site of an apartment building hit during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine in this handout picture released August 30, 2025. Ukraine’s armed forces have declared that Russia’s much-publicized summer offensive failed to secure full control of any major Ukrainian city, despite Moscow’s claims of significant territorial gains. Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that since March, Russian forces had captured over 3,500 square kilometers of territory and taken control of 149 settlements. However, Ukraine’s General Staff dismissed these figures as “grossly exaggerated,” asserting that no major urban centers were fully occupied by Russian troops. Military analysts note that Russia’s campaign, aimed at seizing the Donbas region and forcing Ukraine into concessions, devolved into a slow, attritional struggle rather than the decisive breakthrough Moscow had anticipated. While Russian ...

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Black Sea Escalation: Ukraine and Russia Trade Drone Strikes After Failed Peace Talks

 

Just hours after another round of fruitless peace negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia launched retaliatory drone strikes along each other’s Black Sea coastlines, marking a sharp escalation in their ongoing conflict.

Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s historic port city of Odesa, injuring at least four civilians and igniting multiple fires. Among the damaged sites was the Pryvoz market, a cultural landmark described by local officials as “the living heart of Odesa.” The city’s UNESCO-listed center also sustained damage, with residents seen sweeping shattered glass from the streets by morning.

In response, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Krasnodar region, killing one woman and injuring another in Sochi’s Adler district. A drone also hit an oil depot in the Sirius federal district, prompting a temporary shutdown of Sochi Airport for four hours.

Beyond the Black Sea, Russia launched additional strikes on Cherkasy, wounding seven people, including a child, and damaging over a dozen apartment buildings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, stating that Russia responded to ceasefire proposals with drone assaults on civilian infrastructure.

The Istanbul peace talks, which lasted just 40 minutes, yielded limited progress. While both sides discussed further prisoner exchanges, they remained deeply divided on ceasefire terms and the possibility of a Putin-Zelenskyy summit.

As diplomatic efforts falter, both nations continue to target energy and military infrastructure deep within enemy territory. The latest attacks underscore the growing vulnerability of civilian populations and the diminishing prospects for a negotiated resolution to the 29-month-old war.


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