Putin Likely to Escalate Ukraine War, Sources Tell Reuters
Sources said Putin is set on taking the rest of Donbas and may broaden strikes after Ukraine’s drone attacks hit Russian energy sites, Reuters reported.
- On Thursday, July 9, Reuters reported that President Vladimir Putin rejected peace negotiations with Kyiv, rebuffing advisers who urged a ceasefire as he intends to escalate military operations.
- Unrelenting Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries and ports have triggered nationwide fuel shortages across Russia, strengthening Putin's resolve to prioritize a battlefield victory in Donbas rather than pursue negotiations.
- Russian forces absorb 30,000 to 35,000 casualties monthly, with estimates suggesting about two million soldiers killed, wounded, or missing since 2022; the military continues grinding into Kostiantynivka, a critical defensive front in Donetsk.
- Former defense official Andrei Ilnitsky warned that escalation could include strikes on 30 major industrial sites, potentially targeting NATO bases in Baltic states and Romania, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov maintained Russia has the capability to act independently.
- Security analyst Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute warned that Russia might conduct isolated attacks to sow tensions within NATO, aiming to divide the alliance over response options without triggering direct war.
60 Articles
60 Articles
Putin Is Reeling but Won’t Fold: Why Russia May Choose to Escalate Rather Than Negotiate — and Launch a Summer Offensive
Russia May Escalate Fighting Instead of Negotiating for Peace: While President Donald Trump is optimistic that there is an end in sight to the Russo-Ukrainian war, Vladimir Putin has other ideas. Despite incessant drone and missile strikes from Ukraine that have flattened energy infrastructure, the Russian dictator has no plans to stop fighting anytime soon. Putin believes that his forces can still take all of Donbas, giving Russia the belief th…
The head of the Kremlin insists on his desire to take over Donbass completely, despite a sharp slowdown in the pace of the Russian offensive, the sources claim.
According to sources close to the Kremlin, the Russian president still wants to achieve the complete occupation of Donbas, for which the Russian army does not yet have enough strength.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Left, 41% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
