Description: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russian ground forces have managed to fully occupy the region of Luhansk which marks the first complete territory occupation by Russian forces since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Putin managed to exploit the global focus on Iran to dominate the aerial battle with Ukraine and commence the amassment of troops in Sumy and Kursk regions where the next larger ground offensives are almost certain to happen, following recent advances in the city of Dnipropetrovsk. Peace negotiations under the US mediation have stalled as both countries only managed to agree on a mutual prisoner exchange which also experienced difficulties. Ukraine, in the interim, conducted an aerial strike, deep into Russian territory, approximately 1 thousand kilometers away from the frontlines, on the city of Izhevsk, where a certain munitions factory was targeted with drones. The US has cut short its military support for Ukraine citing severe shortages, however, in the meantime, pledged around $500 million in military support for Israel.
Impact: Russian forces have continuously pushed their ground offensives gaining a severe upper hand in the war, despite Ukraine’s audacious covert military operations and defensive efforts. Recent troop amassments and grinding territorial gains indicate that Russia is heavily preparing for a larger expansion of its military campaign over the summer, gaining crucial ground before the weather conditions start to aggravate. Both countries are as diplomatically far as they could be since the start of the war with the failed US mediation attempts which have left Ukraine on the margins of international affairs on the global stage. The war continues with no signs of halting as Russia gains disconcerting amounts of territory with Ukraine’s defenses showing signs of gritty opposition. The US cessation of military aid to Ukraine while prioritizing Israel could prove to be fatal, as Russian threats to Europe’s interventions in the war have so far prevented more drastic measures from EU countries in assisting Ukraine.