A Conflict on Land and Sea: Russia’s Advance and Ukraine’s Espionage Claims

Moscow/Kyiv – The conflict in Ukraine is simultaneously playing out as a conventional war of territorial advance and a clandestine battle of maritime espionage, according to recent statements from both sides.
In the conventional sphere, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed a significant victory, announcing the capture of nearly 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land in 2025. He asserted that this has given Moscow the “complete strategic initiative.”
In the clandestine realm, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of using its civilian oil tanker fleet for “reconnaissance and even sabotage activities.” This claim points to a hidden dimension of the war, fought far from the front lines. Zelenskyy is confident that, with allied help, this can be stopped.
The geopolitical dimension of the conflict is also heating up. Putin has issued a stern warning to the United States against supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, stating it would be a major escalation requiring U.S. military involvement.
Putin declared that such a move would trigger a “qualitatively new stage of escalation” and would lead to the complete and utter destruction of the relationship between the two nuclear powers.