Ukraine As the World Watches Iran, Putin Quietly Expands His War Across Ukraine

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As the World Watches Iran, Putin Quietly Expands His War Across Ukraine

 

While global attention is fixated on tensions in the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Russian President Vladimir Putin is quietly escalating his military campaign in Ukraine, with signs that his goals now extend far beyond the previously annexed regions. In a striking declaration last week, Putin stated, “All of Ukraine is ours,” during a speech at the St. Petersburg economic forum. He added, “Wherever the Russian soldier treads is ours,” as Russian troops launched a fresh offensive in the Sumy region—an area not included in the four territories Moscow claimed in 2022.

 

 

This new aggression signals a return to broader war aims, reviving Russia’s initial ambitions of dominating the entire Ukrainian state. On Monday, the Russian military announced that it had captured the final sliver of Luhansk, potentially marking the first full conquest of a Ukrainian region since Crimea was seized in 2014. If confirmed, it would represent a symbolic victory for Putin, but one that appears to serve as a stepping stone toward even greater territorial expansion.

 

 

Russian state media has claimed that forces have now captured their first village in Dnipropetrovsk—a region that had never before seen ground combat since the war began. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Russian troops are reportedly amassing around Sumy and Kharkiv in Ukraine’s north, signaling further incursions beyond the initial warfronts.

 

The renewed push comes as peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have faltered. Two rounds of negotiations in May and June resulted only in limited agreements on prisoner exchanges and repatriations of the dead. Putin now admits that talks are “nowhere close” to a breakthrough, despite previous diplomatic efforts backed by Donald Trump.

 

Analysts say the scale and tempo of Russian military activity reflect a significant shift. “That was a light way to introduce that into the information space. First it’s a buffer zone, it’s just 30km to protect Russians,” said Angelica Evans, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, referencing Putin’s comments during a May visit to Kursk. “Then you’re not that far from major regional cities, so why not take those? Because [Putin thinks] ‘isn’t it our right to take those, because they’re historic Russian cities’. It’s slow-rolling what I think we eventually will see … a return to an acknowledgement to take all of Ukraine.”

 

This broader strategy could also explain the recent spike in attacks on civilian areas. In Kyiv, a missile strike killed 18 people in an apartment block, while another 17 were killed on a civilian train in Dnipropetrovsk. “The desire to strike these places has always been there,” Evans said. “A lot of these strikes are about undermining Ukrainian morale and for some of these settlements, that are closer to the frontline, an effort to convince people to leave and to make it easier in the future to seize these places.”

 

The reported seizure of Dachne in Dnipropetrovsk could have grave implications. Ukrainian forces have never had to defend this region before, and military sources warn that its flat terrain and sparse population could allow for rapid Russian advances. Russia’s territorial gains are also accelerating, with ISW data showing that the Russian military captured 240 square kilometers in March, 379 in April, 507 in May, and 588 in June.

 

Russian delegates reportedly warned Ukrainian negotiators during May’s Istanbul talks that Moscow could sustain the war for 21 more years. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation, threatened that if Ukraine didn’t concede to Putin’s demands, Russia would move to annex Sumy and Kharkiv as well. “Moscow wanted peace but would fight ‘however long it takes’,” Medinsky said.

 

Despite Russian assertions that Western powers are stalling peace efforts, U.S. officials place blame squarely on Moscow. “Russian claims that it is the US and Ukraine stalling peace talks are unfounded,” said Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine. “President Trump has been consistent and adamant about making progress to end the war. We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war. Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-07-03

 

 

[frank83628]

How bizarre, i could have sworn most here repeatedly saying Russia was done and dusted, lost the war, out of troops and ammo.

 

 

[blaze master]

6 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

How bizarre, i could have sworn most here repeatedly saying Russia was done and dusted, lost the way, out of troops and ammo.

 

 

 

Its easy to do when youre getting your ass whooped.

[FlorC]

As the World Watches Iran, Putin Quietly Expands His War Across Ukraine.

 

Gunfire and explosions are not so quiet. 😄

 

And a good time to do it :

https://aseannow.com/topic/1365455-us-slows-missile-deliveries-to-ukraine-over-concerns-about-domestic-stockpiles/