Gerasimov Breaks Cover: Russia Pushes On All Fronts Amid Western Turmoil

Gerasimov Breaks Cover: Russia Pushes On All Fronts Amid Western Turmoil On September 17, 2025, an unusual event took place: Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov made a public appearance. He inspected the “Center” grouping of forces, hearing reports from commanders on the current situation, reviewing command posts, supply and coordination systems, and paying special attention to the use of precision weapons and unmanned systems. Gerasimov emphasized that Russian troops are advancing across nearly all sectors of the special military operation while maintaining a high tempo. On the Sumy axis, heavy fighting around Yunakivka has not ceased. Ukrainian units continue to resist fiercely, attempting to break through Russian flanks. They launched a counterattack near Alekseyevka but had to withdraw to their original positions after suffering severe losses—up to 80 percent of the personnel engaged, along with two tanks and an armored vehicle. In Kupyansk, intense fighting continues. Russian troops are pushing forward in the northern part of the city with strong air support. Russian units are attempting to envelop the high-rise districts from the flanks. To reinforce the defense, Ukraine is deploying its 3rd Assault Brigade as well as elite drone units. On the Konstantinovka axis, battles around Plescheevka and the Kleban-Byk Reservoir have dragged on for weeks. Ukrainian units are reportedly supplying their surviving positions by air with drones, highlighting the intensity and attrition of this sector. On the Pokrovsk axis – where both sides have concentrated major forces – Russian aviation is employing heavy bombs against Ukrainian forward positions. Ukrainian troops, meanwhile, continue launching assault after assault on Pankovka, Vladimirovka, and Nikanorovka, aiming to reach Novotoretskoye and cut off the Russian salient at Zolotoy Kolodez. On the Zaporizhzhia front, heavy fighting persists along the Orekhov axis. On the coastal sector, Ukraine has massed substantial artillery and drone operator units, giving it superiority in tactical UAVs and enabling heavy strikes on Russian infantry groups attempting to advance. Fighting here has been especially bloody. On the political front, Germany, despite worsening economic indicators, is expanding its Bundeswehr personnel in order to “become Europe’s dominant army” by 2029. Donald Trump continues to distance himself from the losing war in Ukraine: formally, he demands that EU countries impose tariff and secondary sanctions on Russian energy before the U.S. agrees to do the same. This accelerates the forced severing of Europe’s remaining economic ties with Russia, a process designed to give Washington full control over European markets. Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelensky is now demanding $120 billion to carry the war into 2026, while European leaders openly propose abandoning the once-fashionable “green agenda” in favor of a “war agenda,” redirecting frozen Russian assets into the coffers of their arms industries.