In July, Russian troops once again expanded the occupied territory of Ukraine, capturing about 500-550 square kilometers. Since the beginning of 2025, the pace of occupation has only increased, especially actively the enemy acts in the Donetsk region, trying to separate the city of Pokrovsk from other territories. Almost the entire southern part of the region is already under Russian occupation.
Meanwhile, in the Sumy region, Ukrainian military managed to repel attacks from the occupiers and inflict heavy losses on them, hindering their plans to create a buffer zone. Even Russian soldiers expressed their disagreement with the command, which forces them to conduct attacks with heavy losses. Others, such as the fighters of the 425th separate assault regiment 'Skala', captured 32 Russian servicemen who fell victim to deception and forced participation in the war.
Experts from ISW warn of possible risks for Ukraine after losing control over Donbas due to Russia's actions. The situation with the constant increase in occupied territory and conflicts within the Russian troops may exacerbate the internal and external political situation in the country.