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Russian forces captured more Ukrainian territory in July than Ukraine's Defense Forces reclaimed

Russian forces captured more Ukrainian territory than Ukraine's Defense Forces reclaimed in July, according to data from the OSINT project DeepState. While Russian forces advanced 36 square kilometers, the actual gain may reach 88 square kilometers once reporting delays are accounted for. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Forces reduced Russian-occupied territory by 25 square kilometers in May and 27 square kilometers in June. The Institute for the Study of War noted that the Russian rate of advance remains low, averaging 1.22 square kilometers per day in July 2026. Despite this slow pace, Russian forces suffered their highest monthly casualty rate of the year in July, with 42,860 casualties reported by the Ukrainian General Staff. The Kremlin continues to use cognitive warfare to exaggerate its progress, even though the actual rate of advance is described as roughly footpace. Additionally, Russia launched a record 376 missiles against Ukraine in July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian forces have suffered almost 700,000 killed in action since February 2022. The administration announced that Ukraine's inability to intercept more ballistic missiles is due to a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles.

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