ISW Records Ukraine's Successes

The pace of the RF offensive has collapsed.

According to the U.S.-based analysis center Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces have largely disrupted the spring/summer offensive of Russian forces in 2026. Moreover, not only has the Russian army slowed its advance dramatically in recent months, but it has also suffered net territorial losses.

According to the ISW report, between December 2025 and May 2026, Russian forces were only able to seize or gain a foothold on 40.64 square kilometers of territory. By comparison, during the same period a year earlier, their advance exceeded 515 square kilometers.

The analysts note that during the same six months, Russian forces lost control over territories with a total area of about 281 square kilometers. As a result, the overall balance turned out to be negative for the Russian Federation.

The ISW clarifies that it is not a question of direct liberation of the entire specified area by Ukraine. Part of the change is due to the revision of previously collected data. After new evidence emerged, some areas previously considered to be under Russian control were reclassified as "Russian infiltration."

The analysts define this term as areas where there are small groups of Russian military personnel, sometimes only a few, operating between Ukrainian positions but unable to establish full control over the terrain.

A comparison of figures for the last two years shows a significant decline in the effectiveness of Russian offensive forces While between December 2024 and May 2025 Russian troops advanced more than 515 square kilometers, for the same period of 2025-2026 this figure was only about 41 square kilometers - less than 8% of last year's result.

The ISW stresses that the picture looks even less favorable for Russia if only territories with confirmed control are taken into account: instead of the significant gains recorded a year ago, in the current campaign the Russian army has actually faced net territorial losses.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]