Russian advances in Ukraine ground to a near-halt in August as casualties surged

The sharp increase in Russian losses and their virtual loss of initiative on the front coincided with the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatoyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The analysis noted that these positive trends first became noticeable as early as February 2026, following the appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister.

According to the analysis, military experts are currently documenting what they describe as the first strategic “trend towards victory over the Russian army” observed in years.

The analysis tracked shifts across every front-line sector since June 2026, noting that the northern front in August was defined by high-intensity trench warfare. In the border regions of Sumy Oblast, Russian forces frequently deployed infiltration tactics to expand the disputed “gray zone” while maintaining relentless air strikes to keep local defenses under constant pressure.

In the Kharkiv sector, fighting has evolved into fierce head-on clashes inside destroyed urban areas and dense forests. In the Vovchansk area specifically, neither side made any territorial advances in August, though the intensity of both air and ground combat remained relentless. According to Texty, Ukrainian Defense Forces are conducting targeted local counterattacks there, successfully preventing the enemy from establishing a firm foothold.

In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces have focused their efforts on reaching the left bank of the Oskil River to sever Ukrainian logistics. While small-scale assaults continue in this sector, Ukrainian Defense Forces are pushing back with targeted strikes and counterattacks in the Dvorichna area to disrupt the enemy's momentum.

In Kupiansk itself – a critical logistical and administrative hub for the entire left bank of Kharkiv Oblast – relentless shelling continues to devastate the area. Analysts reported that Russian guided glide bombs striking the city almost daily are systematically obliterating the remaining infrastructure, severely hindering the construction of fortifications and tactical movements as certain urban districts change hands amid intense, fluid street fighting.

A similar dynamic is unfolding in Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, where Russian forces are trying to infiltrate the area from the direction of Kurylivka. While the occupiers occasionally manage to break through, Ukrainian Armed Forces have successfully repelled these maneuvers and prevented them from gaining a foothold, Texty reported.

In the Lyman sector, Russian forces are attempting to push deeper into heavily fortified positions, but dense vegetation and dense minefields – particularly inside the Serebrianskyi forest – are severely hamstringing their reconnaissance and logistical networks. Ukrainian Defense Forces are seizing the initiative with decisive counterattacks, gradually rolling back Russian lines in several key zones while engaging in intense combat near Novoselivka to halt an enemy push toward the village of Drobysheve.

In the eastern direction, Russian attempts to capture Kostiantynivka continue, though the bulk of Russian forces have not yet entered most of the city, contrary to Kremlin propaganda claims.

Ukrainian forces retain control over the northern and northwestern districts of Kostiantynivka, extending their defensive lines out to Ivanopil, while primary formations have conducted an organized fallback to positions along the western bank of the Kryvyi Torets River.

To the north, Russian forces broke through along the Novodmytrivka-Molocharka line toward the village of Stinky, while to the southwest, they captured Illinivka and advanced along the Dovha Balka-Illinivka road.

Russian forces intensified their campaign of missile strikes and guided aerial bomb (KAB) attacks on Sloviansk in August, attempting to establish an advanced foothold for infantry assaults. Analysts noted that before launching a direct assault on Sloviansk itself, Russian forces must first capture several heavily fortified buffer settlements, including Rai-Oleksandrivka and Mykolaivka.

Texty also recorded a local counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces at the intersection of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, reclaiming approximately 126 square kilometers of territory. The operation liberated the villages of Yanvarske, Vorone, Voskresenka, Ternove, Zaporizke, Novogeorgievka, and Maliivka. These successful counterattacks allowed Ukrainian forces to push the Russian army back from the borders of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast significantly disrupting Russian forces’ logistics.

The situation in Zaporizhzhya Oblast as of late August 2026 differs significantly from the hyper-active combat zones to the east, but it remains highly tense and dynamic, the outlet concluded.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that the Russian army’s spring-summer offensive failed to yield any tangible results. Russian forces advanced roughly 37.85 kilometers in July, averaging 1.22 kilometers a day.