Nearly all of Russia’s territorial gains this year have been wiped out, according to a new assessment by the Institute for the Study of War.
uncertain
all → wipe → War
Ukrainian forces have held Russian forces to “near-zero net gains since March 2026”, read the report.
asserted
report → hold → March
“The situation remains dynamic, and Russian commanders are reportedly pressing Russian President Vladimir Putin for a massive mobilization likely aimed at restoring their ability to seize and hold the initiative,” the ISW said.
uncertain
ISW → remain → initiative
Meanwhile, former British prime minister Boris Johnson hit out at Vladimir Putin after his train was involved in a near miss with a Russian drone close to the Ukraine-Poland border on Sunday.
asserted
train → hit → Sunday
“I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning,” Johnson said after he returned from a security conference in Kyiv.
asserted
he → know → Kyiv
A diplomatic train carrying Johnson, Carl Bildt and security advisers from several European Union states had deliberately left the station at Yahodyn ahead of schedule and were on their way back when a drone struck the line behind them.
asserted
drone → carry → them
A passenger train behind the diplomatic service was damaged in the strike.
asserted
train → damage → strike
It had already been evacuated due to intelligence on an impending attack, and no one was harmed.
asserted
one → evacuate → attack
Russian strike on train on Ukraine-Poland border was meant to scare Western states, says EU's Kallas
asserted
Kallas → mean → states
A Russian drone attack on a train on Ukraine's border with Nato member Poland on Sunday was meant to scare Western countries supporting Ukraine, European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
asserted
chief → mean → Monday
“I think we should act the opposite.
asserted
we → think → ?
We should show that we are there for Ukraine and we are not scared,” she told reporters in Rovaniemi, Finland where she attended a summit on Arctic strategy.
asserted
she → show → strategy
Sam Kiley: Kremlin will celebrate Russia’s attack close to Boris Johnson’s train
Analysis:
asserted
Kremlin → celebrate → train
Russia will celebrate almost killing Boris Johnson – this is Putin’s plan for chaos
asserted
this → celebrate → chaos
If blowing up a petrol station and railway carriage close to a train carrying two former European prime ministers and the man who used to run America's war in Afghanistan, the CIA - and rewrote US military doctrine - was an accident, it isn’t one the Russians are admitting to in the Kremlin.
asserted
Russians → blow → Kremlin
Boris Johnson, Carl Bilt - once Sweden’s PM - and general David Petraeus, the “warrior priest” of America’s War on Terror, are tiptop scalps for Vladimir Putin’s collection and his external spy agency, the FSB, will get kudos for nearly taking them.
asserted
agency → get → them
His record in Britain, where he enhanced Russia’s strategic standing by helping take the UK out of Europe, doesn’t worry frontline soldiers in a country that is grateful for his stentorian support from the early days of the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion.
asserted
that → enhance → invasion
Watch: Ukrainian animal rescuers injured in drone attack while on mission
Zelensky: Ukraine wants specifics from partners on halting strikes
Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russia if its partners ensure that Moscow will refrain from hitting Ukrainian energy facilities, infrastructure and food supply routes, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
asserted
Zelensky → watch → Monday
Posting his comments after US president Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to hit each other's energy targets, Zelensky said Ukraine was not convinced that Russia was willing to abide by any agreement.
asserted
Russia → post → agreement
"The war must be brought to an end.
asserted
war → bring → end
And a de-escalatory step regarding critical infrastructure could be the first step toward peace.
uncertain
step → regard → peace
We expect specifics from our partners," Zelensky said on the Telegram app.
asserted
Zelensky → expect → app
Poland pledges to strengthen security after drone strikes along border with Ukraine
Poland pledged increased security along its border with Ukraine after a wave of Russian drone strikes near the frontier, including two that landed within kilometers of Polish territory.
asserted
that → pledge → territory
The move came as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Moscow appears poised to intensify its campaign against Ukraine’s borders with European countries.
asserted
Moscow → come → countries
Ukraine is under mounting pressure from Russia’s intensifying air campaign that uses ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones to pierce defenses.
asserted
that → mount → defenses
“These coming weeks and months will be a time of very intensified actions on the Russian side, and unfortunately we cannot rule out that this escalation will also affect our territory,” Tusk said Sunday after a governmental security briefing in Warsaw.
asserted
Tusk → come → Warsaw
He issued a similar warning on Thursday.
asserted
He → issue → Thursday
Europe faces critical weeks for defending peace on the continent, says Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Europe was facing decisive weeks and months ahead in terms of "defending the freedom and peace of our continent" against Russia.
“I will do everything I can to keep up our support and to get people convinced that this is in our own interest to do that,” said Merz, speaking at a press conference in Finland.
asserted
Merz → face → Finland
Canada looks beyond America with plans for ‘unique alliance’ with EU
Canada is pursuing a "unique alliance" with the European Union as Prime Minister Mark Carney looks to deepen economic ties beyond the United States amid an escalating trade war with Washington.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Carney dismissed reports that Canada was considering becoming an "associate member" of the EU, saying Ottawa instead wants to forge a new kind of partnership with the 27-nation bloc.
asserted
Ottawa → look → bloc
"We're not looking to become a member of the European Union," Carney said.
asserted
Carney → look → Union
"What we are looking — and will begin discussions for — is a unique alliance between Canada and the European Union.
asserted
looking → look → Canada
Trump asks Ukraine to stop 'knocking out' Putin's diesel fuel
US president Donald Trump called on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage.
asserted
attacks → ask → shortage
He spoke after diesel prices in the US hit a record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average.
asserted
prices → speak → 6
Trump was asked by a reporter if he had spoken with Zelensky following his recent conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
asserted
he → ask → Putin
He responded by calling on Zelensky to halt strikes against Russia.
asserted
He → respond → Russia
“Mr Zelensky has to do one thing.
asserted
Zelensky → have → thing
He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the Irish Open, which is being played at his Doonbeg golf club.
asserted
which → have → club
“We spoke to Mr Zelensky about it.
asserted
We → speak → it
Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world,” he said.
asserted
he → hit → world
Russians are still fleeing abroad, citing fears of a new mobilization and a loss of freedom
This summer, a 28-year-old digital content marketer packed up his suitcases and duct-taped boxes and fled Russia, leaving behind his family and friends and not knowing when he'll be able to return.
asserted
he → flee → family
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
