Thu Sep 25 09:30:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:
**Summary:**
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports on the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine, citing claims by former President Trump and the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD). Trump expressed confidence in Ukraine’s ability to reclaim its territory and criticized Russia’s military performance. The Russian MoD stated its intent to advance further into Kharkiv Oblast, aiming to seize Kupyansk and create a buffer zone, which contradicts earlier claims about limiting objectives to already annexed regions. The report also details Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and military positions, as well as continued fighting and reported territorial gains/losses in various sectors of the front.
**News Article:**
**Ukraine War: Trump Backs Full Reclamation as Russia Eyes Kharkiv Push**
**Washington, D.C. -** The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released its latest assessment of the Russia-Ukraine war on September 23rd, painting a picture of shifting battlefield dynamics and evolving Russian objectives. The report highlights remarks made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed strong confidence in Ukraine’s ability to fully liberate its occupied territories.
“Trump stated at a press conference with Zelensky on September 23 that he has ‘great respect’ for Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion and that Ukraine is ‘doing a very good job’ of defending its territory against Russia’s efforts to quickly seize it.,” the report states.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has publicly acknowledged its ambition to advance further into the Kharkiv Oblast, with the aim of capturing Kupyansk and establishing a “buffer zone” near the international border. This revelation contradicts previous claims by Russian officials, including President Putin, who had stated that Russia’s territorial demands were limited to the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions.
“Ongoing Russian efforts to advance into Kharkiv Oblast are an indicator that Russia retains territorial ambitions beyond the four aforementioned oblasts.” according to the ISW report.
The ISW report details that Ukrainian forces conducted strikes on Russian oil infrastructure within Russia, specifically targeting linear production and dispatch stations in Bryansk and Samara Oblasts. Furthermore, fighting continues along several axes. Recent assessed and unconfirmed Russian advances: Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Assessed Ukrainian advances: Geolocated footage published on September 22 shows Russian forces striking Ukrainian positions west of Novovodyane, indicating that Ukrainian forces recently retook the fields west of the settlement. Geolocated footage published on September 22 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced into northern Novomykolaivka. Geolocated footage published on September 22 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently retook territory and advanced south of Stepnohirsk.
The ISW is an organization providing open-source conflict maps. The ISW report uses only publicly available information, relying on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting, social media, and commercially available satellite imagery.
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