Russian advance collapses in Ukraine as anxiety rises in Moscow
Key takeaways
- Ukraine’s long-range strikes hit targets in Russia as observers suggest 1.4 million Russian soldiers have been killed since the war began.
- Russian forces seized 2,190 square kilometres (845 square miles) of Ukraine in the first six months of 2025, compared with 622 sq km (240 sq miles) so far this year, the ISW said.
- That translates to a rate of advance of 1.03 sq km (0.39 sq miles) a day this year versus 16.6 sq km (6.4 sq miles) a day in the first six months of 2025.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Ukraine’s long-range strikes hit targets in Russia as observers suggest 1.4 million Russian soldiers have been killed since the war began.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo One of the many apartment building hit during Thursday’s Russian missile and drone attacks, July 3, 2026 [Thomas Peter/Reuters]By John T Psaropoulos Published On 3 Jul 20263 Jul 2026Russia’s armed forces are aiming to capture the remaining 20 percent of Ukraine’s partially occupied eastern Donetsk region by the end of the year, having – according to Kyiv – failed to meet 14 previous deadlines.
At Russia’s current rate of advance, President Vladimir Putin’s forces will need 5,150 days, or 14 years, to complete the task – in addition to the 12 years Russian-aligned forces have already been fighting to seize Donetsk from Kyiv’s control.