Russian Territorial Gains Diminish in April Despite Increased Assault Activity

The Russian army seized 12% less territory in April compared to March 2026.

This slowdown occurred despite a 2.2% increase in the frequency of Russian assault operations during the same period, according to DeepState on May 1.

The analysis shows that the Donetsk region remains the primary focus of the Russian military, accounting for 36% of all recent advances. Russian forces took control of 53 square kilometers in this sector.

This figure represents a significant decrease in the pace of the occupation, as it is nearly half of the territory seized in March and 6.5 times lower than the amount taken in December.

The Sumy region followed with 30% of the total advances, totaling 44 square kilometers. Territorial changes in the Kharkiv region accounted for 22%, while the Zaporizhzhia region represented 12% of the movement.

The report also highlights a reduction in the total area of occupied land in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The size of the occupied zone decreased from 105 square kilometers to 98 square kilometers. Over the past three months, the Ukrainian Defense Forces reduced this zone by 89 square kilometers from its peak in January, when Russian forces held 187 square kilometers of the province.

Current data suggests that Russian forces now require approximately 36 separate assault actions to capture a single square kilometer of land. DeepState noted that a city like Kostiantynivka covers 66 square kilometers, meaning Russian forces would theoretically need to focus all efforts on that single objective for half a month to achieve such a result. Concentrating forces on such a small area remains difficult under current conditions.

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"In April, the enemy occupied 12% less territory than in March. And the number of assault actions even increased by 2.2%," the report stated. "Also, the total amount of occupied Dnipropetrovsk region decreased from 105 sq. km to 98 sq. km. In three months, the Defense Forces of Ukraine reduced the occupation zone by 89 sq. km, that is, at the peak in January, the enemy held 187 sq. km of the region."

By March 2026, the Ukrainian army had successfully reclaimed more territory than it lost for the first time since the summer of 2023. According to reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces liberated approximately 257 square kilometers during the early months of the year, with notable net gains recorded in late February.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the military had regained 460 square kilometers since the start of 2026, a figure representing roughly 10% of the land lost during the previous year. Analysts suggested these localized counterattacks disrupted Russian preparations for a larger offensive, forcing their units to shift focus toward establishing defensive positions.

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