"Ukraine's recapture of Kupiansk in December claimed by Moscow to have been taken a month earlier surprised even western military experts. An agreement that prevented the invaders from using the Starlink satellite internet service in February and Russia's own curtailing of Telegram, also widely used for communication helped Ukraine reverse territorial losses in Zaporizhzhia region of about 100 square miles. In April, according to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia lost control of 45 square miles of Ukraine."
"It was the first time Russia had suffered a net loss of territory since August 2024 (the month of Ukraine's surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region), and comes after the invaders made negligible gains in February and March. A slow-motion victory for Moscow no longer looks certain. Volodymyr Zelenskyy self-records a video in front of a sign that reads Kupiansk' in December as Ukraine retook the area from Russia."
"Ukraine says that for the past five months it has killed or wounded more Russian soldiers than are being recruited. Though the figures are hard to verify, Ukraine bases its statistics on combat footage. It said its military killed or wounded about 35,000 Russian soldiers a month in March and April, overwhelmingly from drone strikes. Russian recruitment levels, meanwhile, have dipped to about 800 to 1,000 a day in 2026 (24,000 to 30,000 a month), according to economist Janis Kluge, based on an analysis of regional budget data."
"That would be in line with former president Dmitry Medvedev, head of Russia's recruitment commission, who said more than 80,000 signed up in the first quarter. There is also no"
After Ukraine’s failed 2023 counteroffensive, Russian forces gradually took Ukrainian territory through slow, costly attacks that created a sense of inevitable Ukrainian loss. That trend shifted when Ukraine recaptured Kupiansk in December, surprising military experts. An agreement limiting Russian use of Starlink satellite internet in February, along with Russia’s curtailing of Telegram, supported Ukrainian advances in the Zaporizhzhia region, reversing losses of about 100 square miles. In April, Russia lost control of 45 square miles, marking the first net territorial loss since August 2024. Ukraine also reported killing or wounding more Russian soldiers than Russia recruits, with recruitment reportedly dropping to about 800 to 1,000 per day in 2026.
#ukraine-russia-war #territorial-gains #starlink-and-communications #russian-recruitment #zaporizhzhia-and-kupiansk
Read at www.theguardian.com
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