The Russian offensive on the front has slowed down significantly: over the year, the pace of the occupiers’ advance has fallen almost 16 times. At the same time, these insignificant territorial gains are accompanied by increasingly large losses. This, Channel 24 reports, is stated in a report by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), published on July 1. The PromPolitInform portal reports.
According to ISW, in June 2026, Russian troops captured or advanced 30.42 square kilometers, an average of 1.01 square kilometers per day.
For comparison, in June 2025, the Russian army captured 481.25 square kilometers, advancing an average of 16.04 square kilometers per day.
According to analysts, the pace of the Russian offensive has been steadily decreasing since November 2025: the occupiers have still not managed to offset the successes of Ukrainian counterattacks in the Kupyansk and Oleksandrivsk directions, carried out in late 2025 and spring 2026.
The Russians have achieved the greatest territorial successes only near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, where they continue to slowly advance in urban areas, suffering significant losses.
ISW emphasizes that the pace of the Russian offensive has slowed significantly compared to last year, even taking into account the use of small-group penetration tactics. If from January to June 2025, Russian troops captured almost 2,190 square kilometers, then during the same period in 2026 they managed to advance or penetrate only 622.6 square kilometers.
At the same time, these minor successes are being paid much more dearly by Russia.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in June 2026 alone, the occupiers lost 39,490 soldiers killed and wounded. On average, this is equal to about 1,298 losses for each square kilometer of captured or passed territory.
For comparison, in June 2025 this figure was about 68 soldiers per square kilometer. Thus, this year the Russian army is losing more than 19 times more personnel for every kilometer of advance.
Reports from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also indicate that Ukrainian troops are inflicting significant losses on Russian equipment as part of their medium-range strike campaign on Russian military and logistical facilities, added ISW.
In particular, in June 2026, Russian troops lost 12,867 tankers and fuel tanks compared to 3,395 for the same period last year. Losses of drones increased from 4,581 to 60,849, and artillery systems from 1,243 to 2,053.
By the way, on the night of July 2, explosions were heard in various areas of the temporarily occupied Crimea. Locals suggest that several enemy facilities on the peninsula could have been attacked, in particular the 220 kV Donuzlav and 110/35/10 kV Mityaevo substations in the Saksky district.
