In April, russian army suffered net territorial losses for first time since 2024 - ISW

In April, the army of the aggressor state, russia, suffered net territorial losses on the front lines in Ukraine for the first time in a long while. The last time this happened was in 2024. This is reported by analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

According to ISW, in April, russian troops lost control of 116 square kilometers of territory, not counting areas where the occupiers likely managed to infiltrate.

Photo: ISW.

ISW analysts note that the pace of russian troop advances on the battlefield has been steadily declining since November 2025. This is attributed to ground counterattacks by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, Ukrainian medium-range strikes, and communication issues faced by the russians due to the blocking of Starlink and the slowdown of Telegram.

The slowdown in the russian army’s advance may also be partly due to annual seasonal fluctuations. In March and April, the front lines experience a slushy season, when melting snow and spring rains worsen conditions for mechanized movement.

Previously, russian forces intensified their advance in May and June as the ground dried out, and it remains unclear whether such trends will repeat in 2026. At the same time, the ISW noted that in 2026, there were fewer comments regarding the impact of weather conditions on the advance of Russian troops than in previous years.

As the Ukrainian News agency previously reported, earlier today, May 3, the analytical project DeepState stated that russian troops had allegedly advanced near two settlements in the area of Kostiantynivka of the Donetsk Region.

As a reminder, yesterday, May 2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) refuted the occupiers’ claim regarding the alleged capture of the settlement of Myropillia in the Sumy Region.

And on May 1, the AFU stated that the situation for Ukrainian troops on the Kupiansk axis had worsened compared to previous months.

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