ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 20, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russians and Ukrainians are one nation and all of Ukraine is effectively Russian as part of efforts to justify his continued conquest of Ukraine.
Putin asserted that Russia will be able to achieve its goals through a protracted war in Ukraine.
Putin and other Kremlin officials are using the guise of “buffer zones” to expand Russia’s territorial demands in Ukraine.
The Kremlin continues to prioritize maintaining the facade of economic stability by pursuing economic policies that will likely exacerbate Russia’s economic instability.
Putin is attempting to obfuscate the reality that increased investment in Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB) has come at the cost of Russia’s civilian economic sectors.
Open-source intelligence suggests that Russia is increasing its T-90M tank production capabilities
Ukraine and Russia conducted the sixth prisoner of war (POW) exchange in accordance with the June 2 Istanbul agreements.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces on June 19.
Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.
Source: ISW