Is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine deepening?

What the report says

Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story” examined whether the Russia-Ukraine war is entering a more dangerous phase, as both sides stepped up missile and drone strikes and civilians were reported killed in attacks on each side. The discussion centered on the apparent escalation in battlefield activity and the lack of corresponding progress in diplomacy.

The program, published on 5 August 2026, framed the conflict as Europe’s most severe since the Second World War and asked what might come next after months of grinding war. It noted that diplomatic efforts have stalled, while the United States’ focus has remained largely on Iran, leaving less visible momentum around negotiations on Ukraine.

The panel brought together Andrey Kortunov, a Russian affairs analyst and former head of the Russian International Affairs Council; Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament; and Thomas Graham of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Their conversation reflected the broader uncertainty over whether the latest surge in attacks marks a deeper escalation or another phase of a prolonged war.

More broadly, the report fits into a pattern seen throughout the conflict: military pressure on the ground and in the air has often outpaced diplomatic breakthroughs, making outside mediation and ceasefire talks difficult to sustain.