ISW report

Russian army suffers massive losses as Kremlin feigns interest in peace talks — ISW

The Kremlin remains uninterested in good-faith peace negotiations with Ukraine, even as Russian forces continue to suffer disproportionately high battlefield losses, according to a June 5 report from the Institute for the Study of War.

6 June 2025, 02:29 PM

ISW: Kremlin talks peace but demands surrender

Russian officials have publicly admitted that Moscow’s true goal is the total destruction of Ukraine, signaling that the Kremlin remains uninterested in good-faith peace negotiations, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in their June 3 assessment.

4 June 2025, 12:00 PM

Russian memorandum demands Ukraine's complete surrender – ISW

The new round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, along with Russia's "memorandum" of demands for ending the war, have demonstrated that Russia insists only on Ukraine's complete capitulation and will continue pursuing this goal as long as Putin believes Russia can achieve military victory over Ukraine, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War reported on June 2.

3 June 2025, 12:04 PM

How Ukraine’s Operation Cobweb stunned Russian propagandists and war bloggers — ISW

Despite threats from Russian propagandists to retaliate with nuclear weapons over Ukraine’s Operation Cobweb, a nuclear response is unlikely, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said in a June 1 report.

2 June 2025, 10:27 AM

Amid talk of ‘peace talks,’ Putin prepares for a long war with Ukraine and NATO — ISW outlines the signs

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree on May 30 granting the government authority to seize control of defense businesses that fail to meet state wartime contracts, a move that signals preparations for a long war with NATO, according to a May 31 report by the Institute for the Study of War.

1 June 2025, 12:47 PM

Kremlin hardens stance ahead of Istanbul talks, drags out peace process while seizing on U.S. concessions — ISW

The Kremlin is hardening its stance ahead of a possible new round of peace talks with Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul on June 2, a meeting unlikely to produce meaningful results as Russia appears intent on stalling negotiations, the Institute for the Study of War reported on May 30.

31 May 2025, 10:23 AM

Kremlin stalls on peace memorandum to pressure Ukraine into concessions — ISW

Russia may be deliberately withholding its “memorandum” ahead of the June 2 Istanbul talks to pressure Ukraine into backing out, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on May 29.

30 May 2025, 11:18 AM

Putin’s ‘peace terms’ mask broader territorial ambitions — ISW

Western reports and Kremlin statements reveal Russia’s core war aims remain unchanged - Ukraine’s capitulation and NATO’s collapse, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 28.

29 May 2025, 10:39 AM

Russian forces advance in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk — DeepState

Russian troops have made new territorial gains near several settlements in Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts, analysts from the DeepState monitoring project reported on May 27, updating their live war map.

27 May 2025, 05:01 PM

Russia shifts offensive focus, redeploys forces to northern Sumy Oblast — ISW

Russia is moving forces from Donetsk to Sumy Oblast, signaling a shift in the focus of its offensive operations, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 26.

27 May 2025, 09:00 AM

Ukraine likely withdraws from salient near Toretsk after months of intensive battles — ISW

Russian forces have likely eliminated a Ukrainian “salient” southwest of Toretsk after a four-month offensive aimed at flattening the frontline to push toward Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 25.

26 May 2025, 11:40 AM

Moscow floats ‘illegal USSR breakup’ to justify new territorial claims — ISW

Moscow intensified its long-standing narrative about illegitimacy of Soviet Union dissolution, doubting Ukraine’s sovereignty in an effort to derail any future peace deal, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 22.

23 May 2025, 11:18 AM

Medvedev revives Kremlin’s surrender demands, dismisses Ukraine’s sovereignty

Senior Russian officials are still denying Ukraine’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of its president, government, and Constitution, the Institute for the Study of War said in a May 20 report, despite dictator Vladimir Putin’s recent attempts to signal interest in peace negotiations to end the war.

21 May 2025, 10:18 AM

Kremlin’s demands make meaningful Ukraine-Russia talks impossible despite Trump’s optimism — ISW

Substantive Ukraine-Russian peace talks are impossible for now as Kremlin stalls negotiation process, escalates demands, and rejects of Ukraine’s government legitimacy, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 19.

20 May 2025, 10:30 AM

ISW: Putin stalls talks, demands Ukraine’s surrender, prepares for long war

Russia continues to threaten escalation and hint at potential nuclear strikes as the Kremlin gears up for a prolonged war with no intention of making concessions, according to a May 17 report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

18 May 2025, 10:29 AM

Russia uninterested in compromise, still seeks Ukraine’s capitulation — ISW

Russia has no interest in genuine peace talks with Ukraine or in seeking any meaningful compromise, as it continues preparing its population for a prolonged war, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 15.

16 May 2025, 10:12 AM

Russians simulate talks, push Ukraine to capitulate on Kremlin’s 2022 terms — ISW

Russian officials are openly calling for renewed peace talks with Ukraine based on the so-called “Istanbul protocols” from early 2022 — a framework amounting to a demand for Ukraine’s capitulation, according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War on May 14.

15 May 2025, 11:03 AM

Kremlin leans on Zelenskyy ‘illegitimacy’ claim to stall Istanbul talks — ISW

Russian officials may be setting the stage for dictator Vladimir Putin to reject Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to hold bilateral ceasefire talks in Istanbul on May 15, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 12.

13 May 2025, 11:15 AM

Putin pushes ‘Istanbul protocols’ to mask Russia’s military failures — ISW

By reviving demands based on the so-called Istanbul protocols, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is attempting to secure Ukraine’s de facto surrender through negotiations, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 11.

12 May 2025, 10:21 AM

Kremlin uses May 9 propaganda to justify future aggression — ISW

Russia has intensified its use of World War II myths to justify a protracted war against Ukraine and to lay the groundwork for future aggression against NATO, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on May 8.

9 May 2025, 10:39 AM

ISW report

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