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200,000 Troops, Zero Breakthrough: Inside the Summer Stalemate
Ukraine-Russia War

200,000 Troops, Zero Breakthrough: Inside the Summer Stalemate

Storm Shadows and Gripens: Ukraine’s Offense Is Going Airborne

Shankar Narayan's avatar
Shankar Narayan
Jul 01, 2025
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The Concis
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200,000 Troops, Zero Breakthrough: Inside the Summer Stalemate
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Saab Gripen

A Refreshing Turn of Events

It turns out the Western media isn’t just addicted to doomscrolling negativity — they’re also hooked on narratives of defeat. They flock to winners and heap ridicule on the side they assume is about to lose.

Take Russia’s summer offensive. Western outlets all but declared it a failure before it began. No real discussion. No acknowledgment of Russian decision in keeping monthly casualties under 35,000 for months. No recognition of the tactical buildup: holding back tanks, conserving armored vehicles, and carefully preparing for a multi-pronged push. No credit for taking the coal mining town of Toretsk or securing settlements near the lithium mines around Shevchenko. And no balance either — Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi’s small but consistent gains in the Sumy sector barely earn a footnote.

But has the Russian offensive really failed?

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