Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian forces are currently unable to advance using heavy equipment and are instead relying on small infiltration groups along the front line. However, he warned that Moscow has no intention of ending the war.
Speaking to journalists, the Ukrainian president said Russian troops were continuing to attempt limited assaults and infiltration tactics across several sectors of the battlefield. Ukrainian forces, he said, were successfully repelling these attacks.
“Russian forces are trying small-group infiltrations and repeated assaults,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukrainian soldiers were continuing to neutralise these attempts.
He said: “The spring campaign, as planned, has completely failed for the Russians this spring. They could not advance.
“They are carrying out offensive actions, but they are all the same — attempts at infiltration and similar tactics. They cannot break through with equipment — we destroy their machinery.”
The president attributed Russia’s difficulties in mounting a large-scale offensive to earlier Ukrainian operations, including a successful defence around the northeastern city of Kupiansk in 2025 and a more recent operation in southern Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, these actions forced Russia to redeploy troops from the Donetsk front to reinforce other sectors of the battlefield.
“We saw them start moving troops from the Donetsk direction to here in the south because they were afraid the Ukrainian Armed Forces would advance beyond those 430 kilometres,” he said.
Despite these setbacks, Zelenskyy stressed that Russia has not abandoned plans to continue its offensive operations.
Zelensky added: “All of this will continue. After Kupiansk, they will withdraw and then want to return to Kupiansk. These are completely predictable moves.
“What is happening in Sumy and Chernihiv regions is just demonstrations — they currently don’t have the forces there.
“They moved everyone from there to Donbas, and then from Donbas to Huliaipole, to the south. For now, that’s the situation.”
Ukrainian intelligence indicates Russian forces may attempt renewed assaults in several areas, including the Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, and Huliaipole directions.
He added: “This shows that they have no thoughts of stopping the war. Why do we react to the words of one leader or another, claiming Putin wants to end the war? He does not. Otherwise, his maps would be different. Funds should be directed to infrastructure, not to increasing missile production.”
Recent reports suggest Russian forces have already intensified attacks in parts of the front line, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia sector, where the level of fighting in some areas has reportedly exceeded that seen around Pokrovsk, one of the most contested zones in eastern Ukraine.
Military analysts say the Russian command is also regrouping troops and replenishing reserves, possibly preparing for renewed operations.
According to the battlefield monitoring project DeepState, the changes may also be linked to seasonal conditions, as warmer weather and denser vegetation begin to alter combat dynamics and provide additional cover for troop movements along the front.
