Russian forces are pressing attacks on two major eastern Ukrainian axes while the Kremlin continues to delay higher-level talks, according to the Institute for the Study of War’s July 25 assessment.
The assessment says Russian officials are still postponing any direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin despite public calls from the United States for the two leaders to meet. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a meeting remains highly unlikely and argued that the sides first need to develop agreements through “expert work,” while U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that the meeting is going to happen and should have happened months ago.
On the ground, the report says Russian forces likely seized Novoekonomichne northeast of Pokrovsk and appear to be carrying out limited sabotage and reconnaissance missions into Pokrovsk amid efforts to encircle the town. ISW says geolocated footage and other battlefield indicators point to Russian gains around the settlement, along with continued pressure near Myrnohrad and surrounding positions.
The assessment is careful on one important point: it says the institute has not observed any indication that Russian forces maintain enduring positions inside Pokrovsk itself. That distinction matters because it separates temporary infiltration from sustained occupation, and it suggests the fighting remains dynamic and contested.
ISW also says Russian forces recently advanced into and northwest of Kupyansk. Geolocated footage reportedly shows Russian movement in southern Holubivka, with additional advances in southwestern Kindrashivka and southwest of Tyshchivka. Russian milbloggers claimed further movement inside Kupyansk and in nearby areas, though such claims are not all independently verified.
The strategic picture in the report is straightforward. Russia appears to be using pressure on Pokrovsk and Kupyansk to stretch Ukrainian defenses, complicate logistics and search for opportunities to deepen its battlefield position. In the Kupyansk area, the assessment says Russian advances northwest of the town could help support a future envelopment and make it harder for Ukraine to sustain supply routes.
The broader diplomatic implication is that Moscow’s public stance and its military behavior remain intertwined. While Russian officials talk about the need for preparation and expert-level work before any top-level meeting, the battlefield report describes continued tactical pressure and incremental gains.
The assessment does not claim the fighting will quickly decide either front. Instead, it portrays a slower, grinding Russian approach: advance where possible, delay talks where useful and keep the battlefield initiative alive while diplomacy lags behind.
