At a Ministry of Defense press conference, Gert Kaju said there had been no significant changes on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war over the past week.

Russia continued its efforts to break through Ukrainian defenses and disrupt Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In response, Ukraine carried out active defensive operations and counteroffensives near Kupiansk, along with strikes on Russian fuel industry sites and naval targets.

Meanwhile, peace talks continued, accompanied by Kremlin rhetoric about the inevitability of Russia's victory, the unacceptability of any security guarantees for Ukraine and its continued readiness to pursue its goals by military means.

Downplaying Ukrainian gains

Developments near Kupiansk, in Kharkiv Oblast, offer a clear example of Russia's information warfare tactics.

Russia's leadership announced the capture of Kupiansk just under a month ago, and on that same day, the country's armed forces were congratulated for seizing the city.

However, Ukraine's counteroffensive, during which Russian units in the city have been encircled, is portrayed in Russian media as mere attempts by Ukraine to advance on Kupiansk.

"The goal of this rhetoric is to paint Ukraine as weak and incapable of resisting Russia. But in reality, this narrative is a constructed fiction that does not reflect the actual situation on the battlefield," Kaju said.

Russia has made some gains on the front near Siversk, Huliaipole, Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad and Kostiantynivka–Druzhkivka, in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Russia has already claimed four times that it has taken Pokrovsk, but this does not align with the facts.

"The reality today is that fighting for the city is still ongoing and Ukraine continues to carry out successful and active countermeasures," Kaju emphasized.

Russian continues hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure

Over the weekend, one of the war's largest attacks targeted energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast, damaging most of the region's key substations. As part of the restoration efforts, the area had to be reconnected to the national power grid.

Odesa Oblast is vital to Ukraine's foreign trade and after several days of intensive repair work, power has been restored to critical infrastructure and more than 90 percent of the population.

Ukraine strikes Russian sea infrastructure

Ukraine continued striking Russian strategic targets, the most notable being attacks on oil platforms operated by Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea, which forced operations there to halt.

So far, three such strikes have been carried out. This marked the first time Ukraine has targeted Russian oil platforms in the Caspian Sea.

In addition, two Russian vessels operating between Russia and Iran — used to transport weapons — were damaged in the Caspian Sea.

Ukraine also attacked a Kilo II-class submarine belonging to the Black Sea Fleet using an underwater drone while it was stationed in Novorossiysk. According to the Ministry of Defense, this development signals a shift in naval warfare, as Ukrainian drones are now capable of threatening the Black Sea Fleet not only from the air and surface, but also from underwater.

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