In April 2026, Russia showed negative momentum on the front in Ukraine: instead of the expected gains, analysts recorded Moscow losing some of the territory it had previously controlled. This was stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to the report, over the course of the month Russia lost control of 116 square kilometers of territory. This figure excludes areas where the Kremlin may have established only a temporary presence. ISW noted that this had not happened since August 2024, when the Ukrainian armed forces launched their operation in the Kursk region.
Analysts also pointed to a slowdown in the pace of the Russian offensive. Over the past six months, Russian forces captured 1,443 square kilometers, according to ISW, compared with 2,368 square kilometers in the same period of 2024–2025.
In the first four months of 2026, the average rate of territorial seizure, according to ISW calculations, was 2.9 square kilometers per day. Over the same period in 2025, that figure was 9.76 square kilometers per day.
ISW also emphasized that a direct comparison with 2025 is not entirely accurate because Russia has increasingly used infiltration tactics. Such actions do not amount to full territorial control. In this context, infiltration means small groups of troops entering enemy territory or a “gray zone” without establishing full control.
Among the factors behind the current situation, analysts cited successful Ukrainian ground counterattacks, a ban on the use of Starlink terminals by Russian troops, and the Kremlin’s throttling of Telegram.