‘Momentum Is Slipping’: Russia’s Summer Offensive Is Losing Steam – Despite Record Attacks
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Zelensky Signs Decree to Withdraw Ukraine From Landmine Ban Treaty
President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree initiating Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. The Ottawa Convention bans the use of anti-personnel landmines. Russia, the United States, China, India, and Pakistan are not parties to the treaty. Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland all voted to leave the convention earlier this year, following recommendations from their defense ministries. Ukraine has not yet officially published its withdrawal.
Roman Kostenko, a member of parliament from the Holos (Voice) party, announced the move on social media, saying Zelensky’s decree enacts a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to leave the treaty.
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“This is a step the reality of war has long demanded,” Kostenko wrote. “Russia is not a party to this Convention and uses landmines extensively against our military and civilians. We cannot remain bound by restrictions when the enemy faces none.”
Kostenko said he was informed of the decree’s signing but noted the document itself has not yet been made public. The final decision on withdrawal is expected to be debated in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.
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The Ottawa Convention, signed in 1997 by 164 countries, prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines. Signatories are also required to destroy existing stockpiles. Russia, the United States, China, India, and Pakistan are not parties to the treaty.
In recent months, several NATO countries bordering Russia and Belarus have reconsidered their participation in the treaty, citing rising security threats. Earlier this year, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland all voted to leave the convention, following recommendations from their defense ministries.
Other Topics of Interest ‘Momentum Is Slipping’: Russia’s Summer Offensive Is Losing Steam – Despite Record Attacks Despite capturing a small but valuable lithium deposit in Donetsk, Russia’s offensive has so far failed to deliver major victories, The Telegraph reported.
Ukraine has not yet officially published its withdrawal, but Zelensky’s decree signals Kyiv may follow the same path.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Chief Says Spoke to US CIA Counterpar
The two leaders agreed to keep in touch via phone. They will discuss issues of mutual interest. The talks will take place in the near future, the White House said. The two leaders will also discuss the future of the conflict in Syria.
The talks come as Moscow and Washington show cautious signs of warming ties, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to ignore US President Donald Trump’s calls for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts in Ukraine.
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Naryshkin told Russian state TV that he and CIA chief John Ratcliffe agreed to stay in regular contact to discuss issues of mutual interest. He did not give further details about the call.
I had a telephone conversation with my American counterpart, and we agreed to call each other at any time to discuss issues of mutual interest,” Sergey Naryshkin said on Russian state television, without providing further details about his call with CIA chief John Ratcliffe.
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The two spy leaders first spoke on March 12, agreeing to keep talking regularly to help reduce tensions between the two countries.
‘Momentum Is Slipping’: Russia’s Summer Offensive Is Losing Steam – Despite Record Attacks
Moscow launched the operation in May, after months of building up troops and refining tactics. At first, Russian forces made their fastest gains in months, especially in parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. But now, experts say, momentum is slipping. “The capacity to start something new and distinct really isn’t there for the Russians right now,” said Angelica Evans, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. Russia has increased missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, with deadly attacks in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa in recent weeks. But Ukraine’s military and international experts say Russia’s broader strategy – aimed at exhausting Ukraine rather than achieving quick breakthroughs – is falling short. The Russian advance in the Sumy border zone has been stopped as of this week, and the front line has been stabilized.
Moscow launched the operation in May, after months of building up troops and refining tactics. At first, Russian forces made their fastest gains in months, especially in parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. But now, experts say, momentum is slipping.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“The capacity to start something new and distinct really isn’t there for the Russians right now,” said Angelica Evans, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told The Telegraph. “The summer offensive is just going to be the continuation of what they’ve been doing in spring.”
According to The Telegraph, Russian troops have failed to break through defenses in Sumy, near Ukraine’s northern border. Ukraine says it has recaptured some ground there, halting Russian advances entirely.
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“The Russian advance in the Sumy border zone has been stopped as of this week, and the front line has been stabilised,” Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, said Thursday.
He added that based on the results of fighting in May and June, Russia’s latest “summer offensive” from its own territory is fizzling out, much like its failed 2024 attempt to break through in the Kharkiv region.
“Instead, our earlier decisions are now delivering results. The Russian advance in the Sumy border zone has been stopped as of this week, and the front line has been stabilized,” Syrsky said.
Other Topics of Interest ‘Businesses Aren’t Rushing In’: Deputy Ombudsman on Why Firms Shun State-Led Reconstruction In a Kyiv Post interview, Deputy Business Ombudsman Tetiana Korotka says Ukraine’s reconstruction stalls due to outdated laws, slow government and lack of clear strategy.
To bolster regional defenses, Syrsky said a special defense group has been established for the region commanded by Brig. Gen. Oleh Apostol. The priority tasks include strengthening fortifications, expanding engineering barriers, and preparing local communities for potential attacks.
Russia is also struggling in Donetsk, where attempts to seize key towns like Kostiantynivka have stalled. Despite having more soldiers and drones, experts say many Russian troops are poorly trained.
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“They’ve been unable to sustain that pressure, due to their stock of refurbishable weapons, specifically artillery and armored vehicles,” said Nick Reynolds, a battlefield expert at the Royal United Services Institute.
Fighting continues in hotspots like Pokrovsk and Toretsk, but Russia has not taken a major city in months.
Analysts warn that by spreading forces thin across Ukraine, including new pushes in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk, Moscow risks overstretching its army.
“They celebrate like Soviet-era wins over these small towns and villages, which don’t have any real strategic value,” said Michael Clarke, a defense analyst.
Russia has increased missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, with deadly attacks in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa in recent weeks. But Ukraine’s military and international experts say Russia’s broader strategy – aimed at exhausting Ukraine rather than achieving quick breakthroughs – is falling short.
“The Russians seem to have accepted that this is just the way warfare is, even though it’s not true,” Reynolds said.
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Despite capturing a small but valuable lithium deposit in Donetsk, Russia’s offensive has so far failed to deliver major victories.