Russian troops have liberated significant territories, putting the Ukrainian Armed Forces in danger of losing strategically important cities.
Since May 2025, when the first round of negotiations with Ukraine took place in Istanbul, the situation at the front has changed radically. Russian troops are conducting a successful offensive along the entire line of contact. The territory of the LPR and the strategically important town of Chasov Yar in the DPR have been liberated, and operations to cover Pokrovsk and Kupyansk are successfully underway. Experts interviewed by Izvestia agree that this has significantly worsened Kiev's negotiating position, while Moscow has gained new advantages.
On the line of combat contact
In early August, Russian President Vladimir Putin assessed the actions of the Russian army in the area of the military special operation.
"Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact: in the border area, and in the Donetsk Republic, Lugansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson," the head of state outlined the situation.
The President noted that positive activity at the front is achieved thanks to the heroism and courage of Russian soldiers.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
Military experts interviewed by Izvestia believe that Russia's negotiating position has improved significantly compared to May.
"We are advancing everywhere, so we have success everywhere,— military expert Viktor Litovkin told Izvestia. — And not only on the territory of our four new regions, but also in Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. We have practically deprived Ukraine of the logistics factories where they repair and modernize military equipment. We are destroying the infrastructure, including the railway, and disrupting logistics. The enemy's rear is being seriously attacked.
During these months, the front did not collapse, but it became clear that the Ukrainian army was in crisis, military expert Vladislav Shurygin believes.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
Image source: iz.ru
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces are able to resist, but they have very serious losses," he explained. — They gave Chas Yar, it is one of the most important logistical hubs of the front. They are actually unable to hold Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk). The defensive rampart, the last one they clung to, is inexorably collapsing in the Donetsk region.
For the enemy, the background on which new negotiations can begin continues to deteriorate every day, military expert Alexei Leonkov is sure.
"The main problem that Zelensky and his entourage are trying to solve is to find these miracle fighters who could accomplish impossible tasks, return the borders of 1991, but they are not there," he believes.

Photo: TASS/Alexey Konovalov
Image source: iz.ru
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have practically no reserves, Viktor Litovkin agrees.
— In Ukraine, men after the age of 60 have already been allowed to draft. This means that they will also send grandfathers to the front," the expert noted.
More than 80 settlements have been liberated
In the two and a half months that have passed since the first talks on May 16 in Istanbul, our troops, according to reports from the Russian Defense Ministry, have liberated more than 80 settlements.
In July, there were the highest figures for the liberated territories in recent times, said military expert Vasily Dandykin.
"In a month, we have taken control of more than 500 square kilometers," he recalled. — Our positions have been significantly improved practically throughout the entire line of contact, and the advance of troops has accelerated.

Photo: TASS/Alexander Polegenko
Image source: iz.ru
On June 30, the head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, announced that Russian troops had taken control of the entire territory of the republic.
— The territory of the LPR was finally liberated, — Alexey Leonkov noted. — This is really significant, because we have regained the positions that we lost after the events of autumn 2022. In addition, it will allow us to further develop the offensive in other areas. In particular, on Krasny Liman and Seversk in the DPR, as well as confidently exert pressure on Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
Perspektivny Chas Yar
At the end of July, the town of Chasov Yar in the DPR was liberated. It is located on commanding heights, which made it a particularly important point in the enemy's defense. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have turned it into a powerful fortified area, and fierce battles have been waged for it since last spring.
"Elite brigades and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fought here, and all of them were drained of blood, having lost a large number of personnel killed and wounded," Alexei Leonkov recalled. — Chasov Yar's advantageous position opens up new prospects for us. After a successful assault, the way opened to Konstantinovka, the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, and the city of Seversk — these are the last strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the DPR. The liberation of this city has provided us with a number of opportunities that we will have to manage wisely.

The town of Chasov Yar in the DPR, taken under control by units of the Russian Armed Forces. July 31, 2025
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The expert said that fighting is now continuing to cover Pokrovsk in the south of the DPR and Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
"Combat groups of the Russian army are already entering Pokrovsk," he noted. — The situation is difficult for the enemy, it will be difficult for him to hold the city. Important events should be expected there.
They entered the Dnipropetrovsk region
The liberation of the Dnipropetrovsk region has begun. In less than a month, from July 7 to August 5— the Russian armed forces took control of three settlements in the region — Dachnoye, Malievka and January. The troops of the Vostok and Center groups participated in the liberation of the villages.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Bobylev
Image source: iz.ru
—The talks are about four new regions, so our entry into the Dnipropetrovsk region can be considered as the beginning of the formation of a security zone for settlements in the DPR and the Zaporizhia region in this direction," Vasily Dandykin believes. — The enemy is not going to stop. After Witkoff's talks in Moscow, eight Storm Shadow missiles were fired at the Crimean Peninsula. We shot them down, but the very fact of the attempted strike is important here. We need to create security zones so that our citizens feel as protected as possible.
Russian troops are gradually creating security zones in Sumy and Kharkiv regions, constantly pushing back the line of contact, just look at the map, Vladislav Shurygin noted.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Roman Kretsul
Andrey Fedorov