Kiviselg began the Ministry of Defense's weekly press conference by commenting on the third round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations held in Istanbul.

He said, "as expected," the discussions have had no impact on the course of the war.

"Given the completely opposing positions of both sides, it is hard to see anything changing in the near future. As with previous rounds, the only tangible outcome this time was yet another prisoner exchange. Judging by the health condition of the released Ukrainian prisoners of war, it must be acknowledged that Russia is openly demonstrating its disregard for the Geneva Convention and for international legal norms in general," the colonel said.

Russian corruption undermines superior firepower

He added that Russia's contempt for basic human rights is also evident in its treatment of its own soldiers.

"More and more facts and examples are coming to light about how Russian unit commanders torture and even kill their own soldiers, either under the pretext of enforcing discipline or simply for extortion purposes. These are no longer isolated incidents. Rather, they reflect the very nature of a thoroughly corrupt Russian system," Kiviselg said.

He pointed to last year's wave of arrests among Russia's top military leadership as evidence of the extent of the corruption.

"One could even say that it is precisely due to rampant corruption that a kind of negative selection has taken place in the Russian military over the past decades, where promotions and higher ranks go not to those with the best leadership qualities or the most talent, but to those who are loyal or who, for example, have paid for it. All of this, in turn, has significantly affected and continues to affect Russia's ability to carry out military operations," Kiviselg said.

Given all this, Kiviselg said it is no surprise that despite Russia's overwhelming superiority in equipment and manpower, it has failed to achieve any meaningful gains at the operational-tactical level in recent months or even in the past week.

Human life holds no value for Russia's leadership

He said the main Russian offensive remains focused on Donetsk, where the highest number of attacks take place and where, for several months now, efforts have been made at all costs to isolate the Pokrovsk region.

"Often outnumbered, the Ukrainians are primarily employing a strategy of attrition, which means making use of pre-prepared defensive positions. The Russians, in turn, attempt to storm these positions day after day with minimal gains and heavy losses, both in personnel and equipment. But as already mentioned, human life holds no value for Russia's political and military leadership," said Kiviselg.

He noted that Russia's disregard for human life is also evident in the growing number of attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and residential neighborhoods, leading to a sharp increase in civilian casualties.

"Since January of this year, Russia has carried out approximately 23,300 drone and missile attacks against Ukraine, which is more than a 600 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023 (approximately 3,300). It must be added that although the Ukrainians have still managed to shoot down the majority of drones and missiles, their abundance means it is inevitable that some reach their targets. As a result, the number of civilian casualties has increased by 53 percent compared with the same period in 2023, rising to nearly 6,800, including around 1,100 deaths and 5,700 injuries," Kiviselg said.

The colonel said that in June alone, more than 1,500 people were killed or injured in Ukraine, making it the deadliest month for civilian casualties in the three years of war. Unfortunately, no positive change is in sight.

"Given the current situation, it must be said that the best defense against drones is offense. Therefore, we may soon hear that Ukraine has taken steps to destroy drone manufacturing facilities located in Russia, such as Alabuga," said Kiviselg.

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