In June 2024, Russian forces launched a renewed offensive in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region. Despite initial significant advances, they faced heavy setbacks, including a near-total wipeout of the 1009th regiment's fifth company, with only 12 out of 100 soldiers surviving a major drone and missile attack in Vovchansk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Russian actions, likening them to tactics used by Adolf Hitler due to the indiscriminate attacks on civilians via 3,500 missiles monthly. Zelensky reiterated that peace talks could begin if Russia withdrew from Ukrainian territories. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected this, formulating an alternative requiring Ukrainian territorial concessions and a NATO renouncement.
A peace summit in Switzerland, attended by 90 countries but excluding Russia and China, concluded with calls for diplomacy. Major international leaders from France, Germany, and the United States voiced support for Ukraine's sovereignty, though countries like India and South Africa refrained from signing the final communique. The summit highlighted the global divide on how to approach peace negotiations, amidst ongoing military tensions.