Fri Jul 25 01:11:23 UTC 2025: ## Russia Claims Gains in Donetsk as War Enters Day 1,247
**Kyiv/Moscow -** As the war in Ukraine enters its 1,247th day, Russia claims to have seized control of the villages of Zvirove and Novoekonomichne in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Ministry of Defence made the announcement, but independent verification is pending.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti that Russian forces are focused on establishing buffer zones along the border with Ukraine.
On the political front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted draft legislation aimed at restoring the independence of Ukraine’s anticorruption agency (NABU) and anticorruption prosecution unit (SAPO), reversing an earlier attempt to curtail their independence. This move comes after significant public criticism.
Hopes for a potential summit between Putin and Zelenskyy before the end of August appear to be fading. The Kremlin, according to RIA, stated it was difficult to see how such a meeting could occur before the deadline. This follows a Ukrainian official’s suggestion that Kyiv had proposed a meeting within the 50-day timeframe set by the US for ceasefire negotiations.
Internationally, the European Union is urging China to leverage its influence on Russia to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made these comments after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and Germany continue to escalate. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of pursuing a path of “militarisation” and fostering anti-Russian rhetoric.
On the economic front, Ukraine’s Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyy announced that the government is working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a new lending program, as the current $15.5 billion program, set to expire in 2027, nears its end. Ukraine has so far received around $10.6 billion under the existing agreement.
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