Europe | Make or break

Vladimir Putin unleashes a summer offensive against Ukraine

His killing machine has been told to deliver a glorious victory at any cost

A church damaged by Russian military strikes in the front line town of Kostyantynivka, Ukraine
The agony of KostiantynivkaPhotograph: Reuters
|Kyiv|4 min read

AFTER WEEKS of nebulous ceasefire talks at the urging of a semi-engaged President Donald Trump, the war between Russia and Ukraine is intensifying again in savage style and with fast-rising stakes. In the past two weeks there have been record-breaking Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and spectacular Ukrainian drone raids on Russia’s strategic-bomber force, deep inside its borders. But all this is merely a prelude to the main event: a large-scale summer offensive by Russia that aims to break Ukrainian morale and deliver President Vladimir Putin a victory at almost any cost.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Make or break”

From the June 14th 2025 edition

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