Russian Advances in Eastern Ukraine Have Slowed This Year

The Russian military has yet to solve a fundamental problem of how to make big advances in eastern Ukraine when drones are everywhere. After making gains late last year, the Russian military has slowed to a crawl in 2026. In some parts of Ukraine it has lost territory.

At its average monthly rate of advance so far this year it would take Russia more than three decades to seize full control of the Donbas region. The slowdown may be temporary and is due at least in part to seasonal factors. Russian troops tend to pick up speed over the summer aided by better weather and foliage that provides more cover from drones.

In recent days Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow’s troops are gearing up for new offensives and have intensified operations across the front. Russia enters this push on the back foot after facing setbacks this year including the loss of Starlink satellite internet access that helped guide its drones.

The Kremlin’s throttling of the Telegram messaging app as it tightens control over the Russian internet has also hampered soldiers’ communications. More broadly Russia has yet to solve the fundamental problem of how to make big advances on a battlefield saturated with drones.

The days of sending masses of troops charging through front lines in armored vehicles are mostly over. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has sought to convince President Trump that his troops are marching toward inevitable victory in Ukraine arguing that Kyiv should hand over the entire eastern Donbas region to avoid impending defeat.