The pace of the Russian offensive has fallen by more than half: Syrskyi said they are approaching parity

Ukraine and Russia have effectively approached parity in their rates of advance on the front, but it is still too early to speak of a turning point in the war. This was 10 July 2026 stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, summing up the results of the first half of the year.

According to him, Russian forces, despite almost a twofold advantage in personnel and equipment, have not achieved the main objectives of their large-scale offensive. The number of directions on which the invaders are conducting active offensive actions has decreased by almost half. Oleksandr Syrskyi reported a reduction in the number of active sectors of the Russian offensive:

“If earlier the Russian army conducted active offensive operations on 13 operational directions, now there are at most six-seven such directions“, – Syrskyi said.

The ratio of Ukrainian to Russian assault actions currently stands at approximately 40 to 60. In the first 6 months of 2026 the occupiers’ advance rates have decreased by more than half, and their average monthly killed and wounded losses amount to about 32 thousand servicemembers.

At the same time the Commander-in-Chief warned against underestimating the enemy. Russia has not abandoned plans to fully occupy the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, seeks to expand the offensive in the Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and also to increase the so-called buffer zone in northern Ukraine.

Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized that stabilization of the front does not yet mean a strategic turning point.

“A turning point in the war is still far off. The aggressor has not abandoned its plans for the full occupation of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, seeks to expand offensive actions in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, and to create and enlarge a buffer zone in the northern regions of Ukraine”, – the Commander-in-Chief reported.

Data from the DeepState project also indicate a slowdown of the Russian offensive. May 2026 was the first month since autumn 2023 when the increase in territory occupied by Russians was negative: the enemy lost more land than it managed to seize. Over the month the occupiers advanced by only 14 square kilometers.

Earlier we wrote:

• Russia intensifies the offensive in the south, the Armed Forces hold the lines: Syrskyi reinforces the front with drones and munitions
• South: the Armed Forces freed 12 villages and recaptured about 480 km² – Syrskyi
• Russian forces launched an offensive on “the belt of fortresses” in Donetsk region, – ISW
• The Armed Forces’ successes in the south complicated Russia’s plans – ISW
• Russia is concentrating forces on the front and stepping up attacks on the Zaporizhia direction