Illia Kabachynskyi

Russia entered the spring of 2026 expecting a major battlefield breakthrough. Six months later, the breakthrough has not come. Moscow has now lost more than 200,000 troops across the spring and summer, failed to mount a successful mechanized assault, and gained little ground, while Ukrainian forces have liberated 745 square kilometers in the south.

Russia’s goal is to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of 2026. Russia’s military leadership reportedly considers that deadline unrealistic and is asking for more time. Ukraine’s Deputy Head of the Office of the President Pavlo Palisa says that even Moscow’s extended timeline for capturing the regions have little to do with battlefield reality.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on August 25—the first such trip in nearly five years. Russia launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv the following night. Then, on August 27, the Ukrainian capital endured a record 13 air raid alerts in a single day. The timing is telling: a US attempt at diplomatic engagement was immediately followed by Russia’s most intense attack yet.

Ukraine’s skies face relentless Russian attacks by drones and missiles, making every layer of air defense critical. Now, partner countries have reinforced that shield with additional Crotale systems—French air defense systems capable of neutralizing some of Russia’s aerial threats.

Ukraine is continuing a series of strikes on Russian facilities involved in producing various types of missiles, seeking to degrade the offensive capabilities of Russia’s air forces.

Lightweight and affordable fixed-wing drones are turning Russian supply routes in occupied territory into a liability. Now Kyiv needs to scale what worked in Crimea: Ukrainian drones equipped with Starlink should be able to fly into Russian regions bordering Ukraine, helping cripple the Kremlin’s rear-area logistics.