Key Takeaways from the ISW: The Kremlin appears to be struggling to adjust its narrative line in response to the Trump administration’s recent denial of Russian negotiating tactics and acknowledgement of Ukrainian battlefield successes. An anonymous Russian general reportedly acknowledged that the Kremlin is inflating Russian battlefield successes to generate a false perception of Russian sweeping advances while maintaining its commitment to a war of attrition that Russia cannot win in a continued attempt to convince Ukraine and the West to capitulate to Russia’s demands. Ukrainian forces appear to have initiated a new phase in their campaign to isolate occupied Crimea by targeting Russian seaborne gasoline tankers. Ukrainian forces conducted long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure in Russia on the night of July 8 to 9. Russian forces launched 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 94 drones against Ukraine overnight. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces made confirmed advances on July 9. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. See the original here.