The United States and Ukraine’s European allies agree that Europe, not the United States, will fund further military and security assistance to Ukraine. US Vice President JD Vance gave an interview to Fox News on August 10 and reiterated the Trump Administration’s consistent position that the United States will no longer directly fund the Ukrainian military effort, but that Europe can continue to buy weapons from US manufacturers for Ukraine and Europe’s own defensive needs.[1] North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte stated in an interview with Face the Nation published on August 10 that the “floodgate” of lethal aid packages to Ukraine opened after US President Donald Trump met with Rutte on July 14 and that Canada and European NATO allies will continue to fund weapons for Ukraine.[2] Rutte stated that these deliveries are in addition to Europe’s investments in European and Ukrainian defense industrial facilities and that there will be additional European aid package announcements in the coming weeks. Western outlets reported on August 7 that NATO allies, the European Parliament, and several international banks — including US JP Morgan Chase, German Commerzbank, and Canadian RBC Capital Markets — are backing the new Bank for Defense, Security, and Resilience (DSRB), an international bank that will specialize in lending to NATO and allied countries for defense procurement.[3] Western media reported that the DSRB will help NATO states reach their goal of committing five percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending and that more than 40 unspecified countries are expected to become shareholders. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and UK Defense Secretary John Healy endorsed the DSRB.[4] The DSRB announcement signals NATO allies’ commitment to increasing defense spending, and European NATO members will likely leverage the bank to sustain investments in Ukraine’s defense industrial base (DIB), to launch further joint production initiatives with Ukraine, and to fund defense production intended for Ukraine and NATO allies’ own stocks.
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the August 15 summit in Alaska. Reuters reported on August 9, citing sources in the White House, that Trump is open to holding a trilateral summit in Alaska with Zelensky and Putin but that the White House is currently preparing for a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin.[5] CNN and NBC reported on August 10, citing senior US officials and sources familiar with the matter, that the White House has not ruled out the possibility of inviting Zelensky to Alaska.[6] One of the sources noted that any meeting with Zelensky would likely occur after the Trump-Putin meeting. Vance told Fox News on August 10 that the United States is trying to schedule a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky in order to negotiate an end to the war.[7] Vance stated that Putin’s refusal to meet with Zelensky has been one of the most significant impediments to the peace process.
Russian tank losses appear to be declining as Russian forces continue to deprioritize mechanized assaults across the frontline, indicating that the Russian command recognizes that it cannot protect vehicles from Ukrainian drone strike capabilities on the frontline and near rear. An intelligence focused open source that tracks Russian vehicle losses in Ukraine reported on August 10 that the rate of Russian tank losses continues to decline and reached its lowest levels of the war in June and July 2025.[15] The source stated that it has visually confirmed 22 Russian tank losses in June 2025 and 19 Russian tank losses in July 2025, down from 116 confirmed tank losses in June 2024 and 97 confirmed tank losses in July 2024.[16] The source indicated that Russian tank loss rates began to decrease in December 2024, which is consistent with the Russian military command’s theater-wide shift from costly mechanized assaults toward gradual, creeping infantry assaults.[17] The source stated that Russian T-62 and T-90 loss rates remain consistent, T-72 loss rates have declined in proportion to the overall decline of Russian tank losses, and T-80 tank loss rates have significantly declined.[18] Russia has likely exhausted much or all of its stockpiles of T-80 tanks and is likely conserving existing stores and stockpiling newer tank models while depleting stores of other tanks and armored vehicles, including the older T-62. Russian forces have conducted relatively few but costly mechanized assaults in Ukraine thus far in 2025 due to the effectiveness of Ukrainian drone strikes against armored vehicles, instead prioritizing infantry-led assaults and assaults on expendable motorcycles and other light vehicles.[19] Russian forces have been using armored vehicles to transport infantry to forward positions for infantry assaults, constraining Russian advances to foot pace and preventing Russia from using mechanized maneuver warfare to exploit breakthroughs and achieve operationally significant advances.[20] It remains unclear why Russia continues to invest significantly in tank and armored vehicle development and production while Russian forces are largely unable to field these vehicles for their intended purposes, as Ukrainian forces maintain the ability to inflict high frontline and near rear armored vehicle losses with drone reconnaissance and strikes.[21] Russia may be preparing for the eventuality that Russian forces will become able to counter Ukrainian drone operations well enough to be able to field armored vehicles and restore at least some maneuver to the battlefield, but ISW has observed no indications of Russian technological advances in this direction.
Ukraine continued its long-range drone strike campaign against Russian military and energy infrastructure overnight on August 9 to 10, including the first drone strike against a target in the Komi Republic. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on August 10 that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) conducted a drone strike against the Saratov Oil Refinery near Saratov City, causing a fire.[22] The General Staff reported that the facility produces up to seven million tons of gasoline and diesel fuels per year and over 20 types of petroleum products and supplies the Russian military. Geolocated footage published on August 9 shows a large smoke plume over the Saratov Oil Refinery, and NASA Fire Information for Resource Management (FIRMS) data shows heat anomalies in the area that are consistent with reports of fires in the area.[23] Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin claimed that a drone damaged an industrial enterprise in Saratov Oblast.[24] Ukrainian forces previously struck the Saratov Oil Refinery in February 2025, January 2025, and November 2024.[25] Russian opposition outlet Astra reported that Ukrainian forces struck the Lukoil Refinery in Ukhta, Komi Republic with at least one drone, and geolocated footage published on August 10 shows damage to a tank at the refinery.[26] Ukhta is more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.[27] Russian authorities have not yet acknowledged a Ukrainian drone strike against the Komi Republic, but did temporarily stop flights from the Utkha Airport, consistent with reactions to Ukrainian drone strikes elsewhere in Russia.[28] The Ukrainian General Staff reported on August 10 that Ukrainian forces struck the command post of an unspecified Russian battalion near occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, killing 25 Russian personnel, including the battalion commander.[29] ISW has recently observed elements of the Russian 31st Separate Airborne (VDV) Brigade, 328th VDV Regiment (104th VDV Division), and 61st Naval Infantry Brigade (Northern Fleet) operating near Oleshky.[30]
Key Takeaways:
- The United States and Ukraine’s European allies agree that Europe, not the United States, will fund further military and security assistance to Ukraine.
- US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the August 15 summit in Alaska.
- The Kremlin is attempting to use the upcoming Alaska summit to divide the United States from Europe rather than engage in meaningful peace efforts.
- Ukraine’s European allies continue to signal their support for Ukraine and US-led peace efforts ahead of the Alaska summit.
- Russian tank losses appear to be declining as Russian forces continue to deprioritize mechanized assaults across the frontline, indicating that the Russian command recognizes that it cannot protect vehicles from Ukrainian drone strike capabilities on the frontline and near rear.
- Ukraine continued its long-range drone strike campaign against Russian military and energy infrastructure overnight on August 9 to 10, including the first drone strike against a target in the Komi Republic.
- Ukrainian drone manufacturers have developed a new drone capable of intercepting higher-speed Russian drones.
- Russian forces recently advanced near Lyman.