Ukraine Retains Territory as Russia Loses 69 Square Miles in 4 Weeks

Buzzline

A report from the Institute for the Study of War reveals that Russian troops experienced a net loss of 69 square miles of land in Ukraine from late April to mid-May 2026—about half the area of Las Vegas—following prior gains made by Ukrainian forces in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In the first quarter, Ukraine regained roughly 400 square kilometers in and around Dnipropetrovsk, marking the largest recovery since the counteroffensives of 2022, according to a US Defense Intelligence Agency report submitted to Congress. Analysts at ISW believe these recoveries are hindering Russia's intended offensive operations for spring and summer. While Russia has achieved a slight overall net gain in territory during 2026, its progress is noticeably decelerating.

Transcript

00:00New data from the Institute for the Study of War reveals a significant battlefield shift.

00:05Between late April and mid-May, Russian forces suffered a net loss of 69 square miles of

00:11Ukrainian territory, territory they had previously captured. That's roughly half the size of Las

00:17Vegas, lost in just four weeks. The backdrop is Ukraine's earlier counter-offensive in

00:22Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces reclaimed over 400 square kilometers

00:27in the first quarter of 2026, the largest Ukrainian territorial recovery since 2022,

00:35confirmed by a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report to Congress. ISW analysts say these gains

00:41are disrupting Russia's planned spring-summer offensive. While Russia has made some net

00:46territorial progress in 2026 overall, its advance is measurably slowing, its casualty rate is rising,

00:53and Ukraine's military is demonstrating a renewed capacity for offensive operations

00:59that analysts said was no longer possible just months ago.

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