The colonel noted that despite intense Russian offensives and some localized advances, Ukraine is largely holding its ground. Since November 2023, Russia has occupied about 9,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory.

Soldiers in Ukraine raised flags in two spots near the administrative border between Donetsk Oblast and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Thursday after Russia claimed to capture the territory, according to Ukraine 's 20th Corps.

It is believed that Russia has been unable to secure more than one percent of additional territory from Ukraine since early 2024, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing that Russian forces have suffered the loss of over 100,000 troops in the first half of 2025 alone.

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US.The Ukrainian president said his latest talks with Mr Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.

Experts worry Russia could raise the stakes in its attempted invasion by employing battlefield nuclear weapons

Since Russia's invasion began, more than 100 religious leaders and activists have faced persecution for opposing the war.

The Kremlin currently lacks a clear strategy for responding to the US ultimatum regarding the war in Ukraine, while key Russian oil buyers - China, India, and Türkiye - are cautiously assessing the risks of possible secondary sanctions,

Welcome back to another edition of My Take 5, your weekly round-up of top international news. This week we are covering Trump’s possible U-turn on Putin, Estonia and the Baltics get ready with HIMARS,