Russia occupied dozens of territories in Ukraine in May

In May 2025, the Russian army took control of a number of settlements in Ukraine, making one of the largest territorial advances since the beginning of the war, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the publication's source, in May, Russian troops captured large and small settlements in the Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In particular:

• In the Donetsk region: Novopol, Volnoye Pole, Hnatovka, Shevchenko Pervoe, Novoolenovka, Kotlyarovka, Mikhailovka, Mirolyubovka, Stupochki and others.
• In the Sumy region: Vodolagi, Loknya, Vladimirovka, Belovody, Konstantinovka and other settlements.
• In the Kharkiv region: Stroyivka and Kondrashovka.

Such territorial advances, according to WSJ analysts, increase the likelihood that negotiations between Kiev and Moscow are not yielding results and that the conflict will only be resolved through military action.

Hotspots of fighting

The magazine notes that Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Konstantinovka in Donetsk, as well as the area around Sumy region, have become the most active points of the war.

According to a senior Ukrainian lieutenant, Konstantinovka is now turning into a front line. Fighting continues at any time of the day, rotation opportunities are limited, and personnel are exhausted from constant fighting.

Istanbul talks and conflicting demands

At the same time, certain moves were also observed during the talks held in Istanbul in May and June. The meetings held on May 16 and June 2 mainly discussed the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of dead soldiers.

At the second meeting, the parties exchanged memorandums reflecting mutual demands. The Kiev memorandum proposed accepting the current front line as a basis for negotiations, while Moscow demanded that the Ukrainian army withdraw from four regions annexed by Russia but not fully controlled by it - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.

A new stage in the war: the situation may worsen in the summer

The activity on the front and Russia's territorial gains are being interpreted as a serious signal for Kiev. Ukrainian military and analysts predict that the war will intensify on all fronts in the summer months.

At the same time, political negotiations have not yet led to any significant progress, and attempts to gain dominance through military actions are expected to continue.