The pace of Russian military advances on the battlefield slowed by half during the first six months of 2026, says Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Summarizing the first half of the year, Syrskyi said Russia had failed to launch a large-scale offensive in 2026. While Russian forces had previously conducted active offensive operations along 13 operational directions, they are now attacking on no more than six or seven axes.
“At present, the ratio of our offensive actions to those of the enemy is approximately 40:60. Thanks to the active actions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, the pace of Russian troop advances slowed by half during the first half of 2026,” Syrskyi said.
At the same time, he cautioned against underestimating Russia’s capabilities, stressing that “it is still too early to speak of a turning point in the war.”
Russian officials continue to present a different picture of the situation on the battlefield. In a recent interview with state television, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russian forces were advancing along the entire front.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times that Ukraine was firmly holding its ground on the front line and that the outcome of the war would ultimately be decided “in the air.”
