Ukraine Says Russia Fails to Gain Momentum on Frontline

(MENAFN) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says developments on the battlefield indicate that Russia is failing to gain the upper hand in its war against Ukraine, arguing that Moscow’s military progress remains limited.

According to publicly available data cited by Sybiha, the pace of Russia’s “already slow advance” is 3.5 times slower in 2026 than it was in 2025. He says Russian forces have seized less than 0.2% of additional Ukrainian territory so far this year.

Sybiha also points to the overall territorial balance in August, saying the difference between areas taken by Russian forces and those regained by Ukraine is approximately 5 square kilometers.

He estimates that about 42,000 Russian military personnel were killed or wounded during August, describing the figure as “one of the highest monthly casualty rates of the war.”

At the same time, Ukraine carried out 70 successful long-range strikes against what it considers legitimate military targets inside Russia during August. Sybiha says this represents a record for the year and comes in response to continued Russian attacks.

“Given the situation in the Russian economy and its inability to counter Ukraine’s long-range sanctions, things will only get worse for Russia,” he wrote on the US social media company X.

Regarding the fighting in the Donbas, Sybiha says Russian forces have yet to secure an operational breakthrough despite directing much of their military effort toward the region. He adds that Moscow still does not control around 20% of Donetsk region.

“At its current pace, it would take the Russian occupiers over two years to capture that remaining land.,” he said.

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