ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 4, 2025
The Kremlin is fixating on recent train derailments in Russia in order to further long-standing Kremlin narratives claiming that Ukraine is an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace, likely to distract the broader information space from recent Kremlin officials’ statements about Russia’s own disinterest in a negotiated settlement.
Putin also used his June 4 phone call with Trump to further falsely portray Ukraine as an illegitimate negotiating partner that is uninterested in peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to express Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate with Russia to establish a just and lasting peace.
Ukrainian and Western officials and open-source analysts continue to clarify the battlefield damage resulting from Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web” long-range drone strike series against Russian air bases on June 1.
Ukrainian special services reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to direct drones during Operation Spider’s Web.
Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Toretsk.
Source: ISW