The report suggests Russia aims to exploit a 50-day pause before potential U.S. sanctions.
Analysts note that over the past two weeks, Russia has strengthened its positions in the Pokrovsk, Kupyansk, and Kostiantynivka sectors.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, commented on the CNN report, stating that the Russian offensive has not stopped.
“The intensity has varied, Russia’s army has been halted by Ukraine’s Defense Forces, and all the ‘new’ reports in the media are just the injection of additional reserves into an ongoing effort,” he said.
U.S. analyst Keir Giles from Chatham House wrote that the 50-day window provides Moscow with diplomatic maneuvering room.
“The deadline of 50 days gives Russia plenty of time to concoct its own alternative plan, and once again outmanoeuvre Washington through a diplomatic ploy which Trump may well accept willingly,” he stated.
“Trump’s latest extension of his notional deadlines for Putin extends Ukraine’s suffering for the same arbitrary period.”
John Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Center think tank, said the summer offensive has likely been ongoing for months.
A Ukrainian commander, call sign “Musician,” who leads a drone company in the 38th Marine Brigade, told journalists that the Russian offensive has been underway for some time.
“It has probably not reached its peak yet, have been advancing for some time and are doing so quite successfully,” he said, assessing the situation near Pokrovsk.
Previously, German tabloid Bild claimed Russia was preparing a major offensive in Ukraine by summer’s end, allegedly with North Korean military support.
However, Kovalenko dismissed the report as baseless.
“They have no understanding of the front or events,” he wrote.
“They read Telegram channels, often Russian ones, and write articles that get quoted here. By the way, they claim this information came from the ‘Russian General Staff.’ You get the picture.”
Russian strikes on Ukraine’s rear are due to their failure to achieve Putin’s frontline objectives since last year, he added.