Russia announces autumn offensive, Ukraine rejects Moscow's demands

(Patria) - Russian Army Commander Valerij Gerasimov announced the continuation of the invasion in Ukraine with new goals for the autumn offensive, emphasizing that attacks are currently ongoing along the entire front line.

According to him, the Russian army controls almost all of Luhansk (99.7%), 79% of Donetsk, 76% of Kherson, and 74% of Zaporizhzhia. As a prerequisite for a ceasefire, Moscow demands the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from Donetsk, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has decisively rejected.

Ukraine continues to defend the strategic cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which it considers key defensive points. Russian negotiator Kiril Dmitriev accused Kyiv's Western allies of prolonging the conflict with "unrealistic demands", while European countries, on the other hand, claim that Moscow is merely buying time for new attacks.

At the same time, new dramatic footage is arriving from the front lines. In the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Air Force hit a building under Russian control with JDAM-ER/AASM guided bombs, while a Russian refinery in Krasnodar continues to burn after a night-time Ukrainian drone attack.