Russia's Donetsk Offensive: New Momentum and Strategic Challenges

The Institute for the Study of War reports that Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine, aiming to seize more territory and showing no willingness to negotiate. Russian forces have increased their rate of advance since Fall 2024, but their gains remain tactical and gradual. The U.S. confirmed Ukraine's use of ATACMS missiles against Russian targets, while Russia launched a record number of drones to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. Additionally, Russia is preparing to remove the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, and there are ongoing issues with Russian military coordination and incentivization of service.