Polish FM Sikorski says Russia no longer holds initiative in Ukraine conflict

What happened

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told CBS News, as reported by European Pravda, that he believes Ukraine has wrested the initiative away from Russia in the ongoing war. Sikorski highlighted Ukraine's success in the Black Sea and its regained control over key strategic areas, which analysts interpret as contributing to a shift in the conflict’s momentum this year.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure or battlefield claim should be read as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source. According to Sikorski, Russia no longer controls the air over Ukraine, despite continuing to launch missile and drone attacks. He said the ground war is stalemated, but Ukraine appears to have "fire control over a strategic highway from Donbas to Crimea." These observations underscore the limits to Russia's offensive capabilities as per the Polish minister's assessment.

Sikorski also framed war as evolving through phases, and stated the phase during which Russia held the initiative has ended, although the fighting continues. This perspective aligns with assessments from other sources, like Estonia’s Ministry of Defence, which noted Kyiv’s increasing capacity for long-range strikes is complicating Kremlin defenses.

Known from the source

• Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said he believes the initiative in the war no longer belongs to Russia.
• Sikorski stated Ukraine has won in the Black Sea and that Russia does not have air domination over Ukraine.
• Ukraine reportedly has fire control over a strategic highway from Donbas to Crimea according to Sikorski.
• Estonia’s Ministry of Defence said Ukraine's ability to conduct long-range strikes challenges Russia's air defense.
• Media reports indicate Donald Trump privately advised Zelenskyy to act more boldly against Russia.

What remains unclear

Additional media reports cite former U.S. President Donald Trump advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy privately to adopt a bolder posture towards Russia, reflecting international attention on Ukraine's military performance and growing confidence in Kyiv’s recent advances.

What remains unclear: Whether Ukraine currently maintains fire control over the strategic highway from Donbas to Crimea. Extent to which Russia has lost the initiative as stated by Sikorski, corroborated by independent military analysis. Verification of Trump’s reported private advice to Zelenskyy and its context. Confirm sourcing and exact quotes from Sikorski to avoid misquotation.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Ukrainska Pravda English. Open the source.