Ukraine Halts Russian Advance as Both Sides Intensify Long-Range Strikes, Deepening Civilian Suffering

Key News on Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Central Report

(Central News Agency, Warsaw, 14th - international news compilation) Although Russia has intensified bombing across various Ukrainian towns in recent months, its battlefield offensives are showing signs of slowing. The Russian Defense Ministry has issued fewer statements claiming the capture of Ukrainian villages and towns than before, and Ukrainian forces have even gained ground in certain areas.

According to AFP, as it has been over four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a report this month stating that Ukrainian forces have "largely halted" Russia's spring and summer offensives this year.

AFP's analysis of ISW data reveals that in April and May, Russian forces lost more territory in Ukraine than they gained. While these changes are not sufficient to alter the overall battlefield situation, they indicate that Russian forces are facing increasing difficulties.

Alexander Khramchikhin, a Russian military expert, told AFP that Russian troop advances are now extremely slow. Despite Russia's numerical and equipment superiority over Ukrainian forces, the deployment of drones has created a "dead zone" on the front lines. He stated that unless Ukrainian resources are "exhausted," a significant acceleration in Russian advances is unlikely.

Instead of launching large-scale offensives along the entire front line, Russia has concentrated its military efforts on capturing key Ukrainian strongholds—particularly the former industrial city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military continues to face recruitment challenges and lacks sufficient resources to launch large-scale counteroffensives.

Mykola Bielieskov, a Ukrainian analyst, told AFP that Kyiv's primary goal at present is to force Russia to the negotiating table. "It can be stated with certainty that, for our side, the situation has stopped deteriorating."

With both sides at a battlefield stalemate, long-range strikes have intensified. Russia has vowed to carry out "systematic" attacks on Ukraine, launching record numbers of drones and missiles.

Analysts note that Ukraine, in turn, strikes Russian oil infrastructure almost weekly and has increased drone attacks on supply routes within Russian-occupied territories.

However, as the war's impact now extends far beyond the battlefield, civilians are suffering the most. On the 8th, the United Nations (UN) reported that the current phase of the conflict is the deadliest since the war began. (Translation: Chang Cheng-chien) 1150614

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