Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained his maximalist war aims.
- Ukraine is increasingly focusing on medium-range strikes.
- Ukraine is challenging Moscow's claims of advancement.
- Oleksii Melnyk is co-director of foreign relations.
- Melnyk stated that Putin has confirmed long-standing demands.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered peace talks.
- President Putin rejected the offer for peace talks.
- Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg and its surrounding region.
- This was the second time St. Petersburg was targeted by drones.
- Details on damage and casualties from the drone strikes were not immediately available.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained his maximalist war aims, despite current battlefield realities and Ukrainian drone strikes. Analysts observe that while Russia still holds advantages, Ukraine is increasingly concentrating on medium-range strikes to inflict losses, thereby challenging Moscow's assertions of battlefield progress.
These maximalist demands for ending the war in Ukraine have remained unchanged, according to Oleksii Melnyk, co-director of foreign relations. Melnyk stated that Putin has confirmed these long-standing demands. The situation follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer for peace talks, which President Putin rejected.
In response to the rejection of peace talks, Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg and its surrounding region for a second time. Specific details regarding damage and casualties from these drone strikes were not immediately available.