Vladimir Putin's spokesman has insisted Russia has no reason to stop its bombing of Ukraine. Putin's army has stepped up its aerial bombardment of Ukrainian towns and cities since the turn of the year, killing and injuring scores of civilians.

The tactic is aimed at breaking public morale and support for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin is becoming more and more confident that it is gaining the upper hand on the battlefield and sees no reason to sue for peace.

Putin has repeatedly rejected calls from the Trump administration and Volodymyr Zelensky for a 30-day ceasefire, and has stalled attempts to negotiate a peace deal.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, said Russia held the strategic advantage and had nothing to gain from stopping the war at this moment in time.

In an interview with Sky News, he said: "Now we have a strategic advantage. Why should we lose it?

"We are not going to lose it. We are going further. We're advancing and we'll continue to advance."

Russia launched its summer offensive in May and has succeeded in taking more ground, despite stiff Ukrainian resistance.

Last month, Putin's army seized roughly 173 square miles, more than double April’s gains, according to DeepState.

Most of these gains came south of Kostyantynivka, in the Donetsk region, and near the Russian border in the northern Sumy region.

The Russian President echoed his spokesman when he gave his latest assessment of the situation on the battlefield.

Speaking to foreign journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Thursday, he reiterated that his army holds the “strategic advantage” and is “still advancing” daily.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say Putin's strategy hinges on his belief that Kyiv's forces will fail to regain lost ground and that Russian manpower and materiel advantages will outlast Ukraine’s resources and Western support.

They also have not changed their assessment that Putin's long term goals have not altered - these include regime change in Ukraine, the installation of a pro-Kremlin government, the demilitarisation of Ukraine, enforced neutrality, and NATO’s retreat from its open-door policy.

However, the ISW analysts believe such a strategy is unsustainable in the medium to long term.

Economic challenges and defence industry limitations are likely to impede Moscow’s ability to continue the war indefinitely.