Map Reveals Scale of Russia's Summer Offensive Against Ukraine
The think tank said there were Russian advances in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions on Monday in the push, which began in May to break through Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Russia's summer offensive launched in May is part of Vladimir Putin's push to fully control the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Moscow has made some gains, although analysts say the operation will be held back by troop shortages and a lack of expertise.
The operation comes as Kremlin officials describe wider territorial ambitions in Ukraine beyond Crimea and the four oblasts that Moscow has illegally annexed, signaling that the prospect of peace negotiations is distant.
According to the ISW on Monday, there were Russian advances in the Novopavlivka direction in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Moscow's forces raised a Russian flag in the settlement of Novomykolaivka, according to geolocated footage.
Russian gains were also recorded in western Zaporizhzhia, with pro-Moscow bloggers recording advances near three settlements, including Stepove.
Newsweek's map shows some of these developments, including Russia's move to push Ukrainian troops out of Russia's Kursk region and Kyiv's attacks near the border in Russia's Belgorod region.
The map also shows Russian advances in Borova in the Kharkiv region and Lyman and Siversk in Donetsk oblast. It outlines unconfirmed claims by Russian sources that Moscow's forces had seized Novoukrainka, south of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
It comes as Putin referred in a meeting to the four partially occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts as "Donbas and Novorossiya" in reference to Kremlin rhetoric about historic Russian lands, which denigrates Ukraine's sovereignty.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa was "inextricably linked" with Russia, while presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky claimed that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people" with a "historical homeland."
But Ukraine is still fighting hard in the Donbas region. Ukrainian forces struck a Russian logistics hub and an oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk and a military base in occupied Donetsk Monday and Tuesday, sparking fires in the cities, according to local reports.
Institute for the Study of War (ISW): "Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk and Novopavlivka and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast."
Independent Russian military analyst Ian Matveev, per The Washington Post, cast doubt on the effectiveness of Moscow's summer offensive: "What we have in the Russian army now is a lot of soldiers, but they have no training."
Angelica Evans, a Russia analyst, told The Telegraph: "The summer offensive is just going to be the continuation of what they've (Russia) been doing in spring."
Independent Russian military analyst Ian Matveev told The Washington Post that Russia's offensive won't lead to a big breakthrough but could gain some territory, although complex operations in Ukraine will be hampered by weaknesses in intelligence, shortages, corruption, logistical failures and poor training.
Related Articles
Trump Reacts as Russia Deploys 50K Troops Near UkraineUkraine Sees Mixed Results at the 2025 NATO Summit | OpinionWhat F-16 Loss Means For Ukraine's Air PowerNATO Ally Seeks Women to Fight Russia Threat
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Dalai Lama confirms plans for a successor to be chosen before he dies
Ahead of his 90th birthday this weekend, the Dalai Lama confirmed the institution will continue after his passing by announcing the launch of a process to find the latest reincarnation of the first Dalai Lama to succeed him as the leader of Tibetan Buddhism. File photo by Edwin Locke/UPI | License Photo July 2 (UPI) -- The Dalai Lama announced on Wednesday that the foundation he established in exile in India will name his successor in due course, prompting China to insist that he had no role to play and that his replacement was a decision for the Communist Party alone. Ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the spiritual leader of the world's 200 million followers of Tibetan Buddhism said in a statement that the responsibility for recognizing a new, reincarnated Dalai Lama lies solely with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust and that "no one else has any such authority to interfere." He said that the decision to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama was in response to overhelming popular demand from the leaders of Tibet's spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs and ordinary Buddhists from across Asia, including in Chinese-controlled Tibet, China and Russian republics. Trust members "should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition," said the Dalai Lama. "I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of the Dalai Lama, has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter." The declaration sets the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese communist rule, on a collision course with Beijing, which has its own "official" Buddhist denomination and regards him as a separatist and does not recognize his claim to represent Tibetans. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that succession matters did not lie with a single individual and that the process must conform to Chinese laws and regulations, as well as "religious rituals and historical conventions." Accordingly, the Dalai Lama's reincarnation would be selected using a centuries-old lot-drawing system under which nominees are drawn from a golden urn, subject to approval by the central government, said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. At least three previous Dalai Lamas have been chosen by this method, but not the current one, who is the 14th holder of the position. A so-called Panchen Lama is normally charged with searching out the next Dalai Lama, but the current holder of the post, Tibetan Gedhun Choekyi Nima, has not been seen since shortly after being named by the Dalai Lama as a six-year-old in May 1995 to replace the previous Panchen Lama, who had died. Beijing has since named its own Panchen Lama. The competing powers in Dharamsala in India and Beijing vying for control could lead to the undedifying spectacle of two rival Dalai Lamas, both claiming to be the legitimate leader of Tibetan Buddhism.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Patrol Plane Photos Show Chinese Sea Activity Alarming US Ally
Photos recently taken by a patrol aircraft provide a glimpse of China's maritime activities in the contested East China Sea, which have alarmed its neighbor Japan—a U.S. ally. Following Tokyo's formal protest, Beijing said last week that its oil and gas exploration activities in the East China Sea were conducted in "undisputed waters" under its jurisdiction. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for further comment by email. Japan has accused China of advancing its "development activities" of natural resources in the East China Sea—which lies between the two countries—even though the boundaries of their 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zones (EEZs) have yet to be formally agreed upon. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state enjoys sovereign rights to explore and exploit natural resources within its EEZ. Japan has identified 20 Chinese structures—including suspected oil rigs—in the East China Sea as of last month. While China installed these structures on its side of the East China Sea's median line—also known as the geographical equidistance line—Japan believed they were likely draining gas and oil reserves that straddle the line, arguing that the natural resources should be shared. On Sunday, several members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including policy chief Itsunori Onodera, inspected the East China Sea's median line and all the Chinese structures constructed in the region from a Japanese military P-3C patrol aircraft, the party said. "In this area, the Chinese side is unilaterally developing gas fields, and the act of building related structures one after another, which increases tensions, continues," the Japanese party said in a news release, adding that it "bears the responsibility" of defending the country. Onodera said his party would closely monitor the situation to prevent China from using Japan's resources, Jiji Press reported, citing a video released by the Liberal Democratic Party. Official photos show the Japanese patrol aircraft conducting low-altitude flights around Chinese structures. It remains unclear whether China scrambled its fighter jets in response. After receiving briefings from crew members of the patrol aircraft, the Japanese politicians warned that the situation in the East China Sea could pose a threat to Japan's sovereignty. Both sides also discussed the recent aerial encounter between the Japanese and Chinese militaries, which the Liberal Democratic Party called an "extremely dangerous" incident. In early June, a Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft was intercepted by Chinese J-15 fighter jets over the Pacific Ocean while monitoring a Chinese aircraft carrier. At one point, the two aircraft were flying as close as 147 feet apart, which Tokyo said posed a risk of collision. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party said in a news release on Sunday: "In order to protect its territory and sovereignty, the Liberal Democratic Party will always keep an eye on the border frontlines, support those on the front lines of tensions, and work to strengthen deterrence in cooperation with the government." Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a news release on June 24: "Under the circumstances pending maritime boundary delimitation, it is extremely regrettable that China is advancing unilateral development, even on the China side of the geographical equidistance line." Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on June 25: "China upholds and remains committed to the comprehensive and effective implementation of the principled consensus on the East China Sea issue. We hope Japan will work in the same direction with China and make an effort to resume the intergovernmental negotiation between the two countries at an early date." It remains to be seen whether China will expand its activities near the median line in the East China Sea by constructing additional energy exploration structures. Related Articles Japan Reacts to Trump Tariff ThreatMap Shows US Missile-Tracking Ship Pinging Off China's CoastMap Shows Major US Naval Presence in West Pacific Amid China RivalryMap Shows Which State Economies Are Growing-and Shrinking-in 2025 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Dalai Lama Issues Update on Succession
The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday that he will have a successor following his death. "I am affirming that the institution will continue," he said in a video statement delivered at a major religious gathering in Dharamshala, India, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday. The announcement comes after speculation around whether the current Dalai Lama might be the last person to hold his role-one that remains a symbol of Tibet's spiritual and cultural identity. Outside of religion, the Dalai Lama's succession holds deep ramifications for the region's political future. China's claim that only its authorities can approve the next Dalai Lama has spurred fears among Tibetans and human rights observers that Beijing may seek to install its own candidate to reinforce control over Tibet. The Dalai Lama has publicly dismissed China's authority in spiritual matters, warning his followers to disregard any appointments announced by the Chinese government. In recent years, U.S. lawmakers have backed calls for religious freedom in Tibet and have enacted legislation rejecting Beijing's right to appoint the Dalai Lama's successor. This week, the Dalai Lama addressed more than 100 leading Tibetan Buddhist figures at the event in Dharamshala, reaffirming that the search for his reincarnation would adhere to established religious rituals and be directed by his Gaden Phodrang Trust. "There will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas," he previously said, according to Reuters. The procedures, rooted in six centuries of tradition, involve senior monks searching for a child believed to be the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, typically using spiritual signs, visions and ritual tests. The Dalai Lama reiterated that the Gaden Phodrang Trust "has the sole authority to recognize his reincarnation" and he dismissed any outside claims to the process as illegitimate. The Chinese government has repeatedly declared itself the rightful authority over the Dalai Lama's selection process, a stance Beijing says is based on historical precedent from the Qing dynasty. Chinese authorities label the Dalai Lama a separatist and say they intend to decide his successor. The Dalai Lama, countering this claim, insisted his reincarnation would be born outside China and accused Beijing of attempting to politicize what has always been a spiritual process. Dolma Tsering Teykhang, deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, said China's approach is "political maneuvering" aimed at undermining Tibetan identity and culture. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet for India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has repeatedly urged stability and transparency for the succession. He stepped down from any political role in 2011, passing authority to an elected government-in-exile, and established his foundation to coordinate the reincarnation search outside the reach of political actors. Newsweek has previously broken down everything you need to know about the current Dalai Lama, his relationship with China and how the next one will be chosen. The Dalai Lama said in a video message: "I am affirming that the institution will continue." Youdon Aukatsang, Member of Parliament, Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile said: "(The Dalai Lama) is a binding and unifying force for the Tibetan movement." The Gaden Phodrang Trust is expected to begin formal consultation with senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders and continue preparations for the identification process, should the Dalai Lama pass away. The Chinese government has not signaled an intention to alter its stance, and officials in Dharamshala warn of heightened international scrutiny if Beijing seeks to appoint its own candidate. Related Articles China Reacts to Major Dalai Lama AnnouncementWho Will Be Next Dalai Lama? Tibetan Leader Set To Detail SuccessionMinnesota Buddhist Lama Celebrates 18th Birthday Before Himalayan JourneyDalai Lama Returns to India After Successful Surgery in the US 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
