In April, the Ukrainian army achieved some of its most significant battlefield successes since the war began in February 2022. For the first time since Ukraine’s Kursk incursion in August 2024, Russian forces recorded a net territorial loss.

The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Moscow ceded control of 116 square kilometers, or 44.8 square miles, across the front. In the first four months of 2025, Russian forces seized an average of 9.76 square kilometers, or 3.8 square miles, per day. In 2026, that figure fell to approximately 2.9 square kilometers, or 1.1 square miles, per day over the same period. Ukrainian ground counterattacks, the February block on Russian Starlink access, and the Kremlin’s decision to throttle Telegram have all pressed down on Russian command and communication.