Ukrainian front line barely changed in July

In July, the territory under Russian control in Ukraine increased by just under 40 square kilometres, according to published data. In June, the increase was about 30 square kilometres. Both figures are significantly lower than a year earlier, when Russian troops advanced on average by 405 square kilometres per month.

The pace of Russia's advance has slowed since late 2025. In April and May 2026, Ukraine recaptured about 403 square kilometres. Kyiv has also carried out effective strikes on Russian territory and on occupied areas of Ukraine.

In July, Russia managed to slightly expand its controlled territory in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions. In the Kharkiv region, the front line remained unchanged. Ukrainian armed forces recaptured 28.5 square kilometres in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Overall, Russia occupies slightly more than 19% of Ukraine's territory. About 7% of that consists of Crimea and part of Donbas, which were under Russian control before the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Most of the territory occupied during the war was seized by Russia in the first weeks of the invasion.