All articles tagged with #territorial losses
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) asserts that Vladimir Putin’s claim of capturing 1,301 square kilometers in September is factually incorrect, as geolocated data shows a net Russian loss of 80.81 square kilometers. This discrepancy highlights a widening gap between Kremlin rhetoric and battlefield reality, driven by Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi.
Open-source tracker DeepState UA says Russia ended May with a net territorial loss for the first time since Kyiv’s 2023 offensive, despite a surge in attacks. Other analyses, including ISW, show mixed results depending on methodology, with May losses cited (about 108 square miles) under ISW’s accounting. The shift seems linked to Kyiv’s improved leadership under Mykhailo Fedorov and increased mid-range drone strikes targeting Russian logistics, suggesting Ukraine may be gaining ground in the front.
ISW reports that Russia net-lost about 116 sq km of Ukrainian ground in April 2026—the first such loss since 2024—while the Nov 2025–Apr 2026 window shows Russia seizing 1,443.35 sq km but infiltrating an additional 1,716.42 sq km, meaning infiltration areas inflate apparent gains without reliable Ukrainian control. The rate of Russian advances slowed to roughly 2.9 sq km per day in early 2026 versus 9.76 per day in early 2025, with colder/wetter winter weather, ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks, and weather-driven movement limiting tempo. ISW notes continued activity near Novopavlivka and western Zaporizhia, Ukrainian gains in Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka, and persistent long-range strikes across occupied Crimea and Kherson, while it emphasizes its methodological separation of infiltration from seized terrain.