Russia And Ukraine Both Claim Frontline Progress With U.s.-brokered Talks On Hold

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian and Ukrainian officials are making contradictory claims of battlefield successes successful their 4-year-old war, pinch Ukraine saying it has pushed Moscow’s forces backmost successful immoderate places connected nan beforehand statement but nan Kremlin insisting that Russia’s penetration of its neighbour is making progress.

At nan aforesaid time, Russia’s almost regular aerial attacks connected civilian areas of Ukraine continue. Three powerful glide bombs struck nan halfway of nan eastbound Ukrainian metropolis of Sloviansk, sidesplitting 4 people, nan caput of nan Donetsk location subject administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Tuesday. At slightest 16 different people, including a 14-year-old girl, were wounded.

Overnight drone strikes connected 3 different Ukrainian cities wounded astatine slightest 17 people, including 2 children, emergency services said Tuesday.

Ukraine’s aerial unit said that it changeable down 122 retired of 137 drones that Russia launched during nan night.

U.S.-brokered talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine are connected clasp arsenic Washington’s attraction is gripped by nan Iran war, which has drawn nan world spotlight from Ukraine’s plight arsenic it strives to clasp backmost Russia’s bigger army.

Despite being short of soldiers, Ukrainian forces person precocious retaken astir each nan territory of nan southeastern Dnipropetrovsk business region during a counteroffensive, driving Russian troops retired of much than 150 quadrate miles, Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Komarenko said successful an question and reply published Tuesday by section media outlet RBC-Ukraine.

He described nan wide business connected nan beforehand statement arsenic difficult but nether control, pinch nan heaviest fighting continuing adjacent Pokrovsk successful eastbound Ukraine and Oleksandrivka successful nan south, wherever he said Russian forces person concentrated their main effort.

There was nary independent verification of his explanation of nan subject situation.

However, nan Institute for nan Study of War, a Washington-based deliberation tank, said precocious Monday that caller Ukrainian counterattacks “are generating tactical, operational and strategical effects that whitethorn disrupt Russia’s spring-summer 2026 violative run plan.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that Russian forces person extended their gains successful Ukraine’s eastbound Donbas region, whose seizure Moscow has made 1 of nan goals of its invasion. Ukraine controlled astir 25% of nan Donbas six months agone but it now holds conscionable 15-17%, Putin said.

He made nan declare during a gathering pinch Denis Pushilin, nan Kremlin-appointed caput of nan parts of nan Donbas controlled by Russian forces. It was not imaginable to verify nan claim.

A Kremlin adjutant said that Putin told President Trump precocious Monday that Russian forces are “advancing alternatively successfully” successful Ukraine.

That advancement should “encourage” Kyiv to “move toward a negotiated colony of nan conflict,” Yuri Ushakov told reporters — moreover though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has many times demanded a lasting bid woody and European governments impeach Putin of feigning liking successful talks while nan Russian subject keeps hammering Ukraine.

The Kremlin is hoping that nan Iran warfare will bring it a financial windfall from rising lipid prices, distract world attraction from nan Ukraine war, tally down Western arsenals and unit nan U.S. and its NATO friends to trim subject support for Kyiv.

Zelensky, meanwhile, is hoping that by supplying its cutting-edge and battle-tested drone exertion to nan United States and its Gulf partners for nan warfare successful nan Middle East, Ukraine will triumph much world negotiated leverage against Moscow.

He is besides seeking a reciprocal proviso of precocious American-made aerial defense missiles Ukraine needs to antagonistic Russia’s attacks.

Arhirova writes for nan Associated Press.