Ukraine front lines largely unchanged in July as Russian advances slow

Russia's territorial advances in Ukraine slowed considerably in July, with Moscow gaining less than 40 square kilometers of territory. This marks a significant deceleration compared to previous months and especially the previous year, when Russian forces advanced an average of 405 square kilometers per month. The pace of Russian advances has been notably slower since the end of 2025.

In contrast, Ukraine recaptured approximately 403 square kilometers in April and May 2026. Kyiv has also conducted effective strikes within Russian territory and in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. In July alone, the Ukrainian army reclaimed 28.5 square kilometers in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia's current control extends over just over 19% of Ukraine's total territory, including Crimea and parts of Donbas that were already under Russian control before the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Most of the territory occupied during the full-scale war was seized in the initial weeks of the conflict. In July, Russia managed to slightly expand its controlled territory in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy regions. The front line in the Kharkiv region remained unchanged. The overall trend indicates a significant slowdown in Russia's territorial gains and a partial Ukrainian resurgence in reclaiming occupied lands.