In the past month of July, Russian occupation forces managed to expand their control over Ukrainian territory to a greater extent than the Defense Forces of Ukraine were able to liberate.
This is stated in the latest summary report of the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState, published in the first days of August (source: prm.ua/en/russia-occupied-more-territories-than-ukraine-was-able-to-return-deepstate-summed-up-july/). The data reflects the current picture of the battlefield as of the end of July 2026, marked by heavy positional fighting in key areas in Donbas.
According to military observers' calculations, the increase in the territories under Russian control on the interactive map amounts to 36 square kilometers for the month. However, analysts explicitly specify that this balance is not final and is subject to revision. Due to the operational security requirements of the Ukrainian army, territorial successes and counterattacks of the Defense Forces are reflected on the public platform DeepStateMap.Live with some delay (source: deepstatemap.live/en).
Comparison with the previous months of 2026
The dynamics of the front line in the summer show a certain slowdown in Russian progress compared to the earlier stages of the offensive. For comparison, in June, the DeepState project reported an initial capture of 84 square kilometers, although the actual net balance at the time was close to negative due to successful Ukrainian actions (source: pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/07/01/8041954/).
The main conclusions from the situation on the front at the end of July include:
Main pressure in Donetsk region: Russian tactical advances remain concentrated mainly in the Kostyantynivka, Liman and Pokrovsk directions (source: odessa-journal.com/deepstate-russian-territorial-gains-slow-sharply-as-ukraine-holds-key-sectors). Positional nature of the war: Independent sources such as the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) confirm that the Russian command continues to optimize its forces for attritional positional warfare, rather than large-scale mechanized breakthroughs (source: understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-17-2026/). Slowing down the pace: While Russia maintains the initiative in certain sectors, the pace of territorial gains is dramatically lower than the same period last year (source: criticalthreats.org/analysis/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-1-2026).In parallel with the ground battles, Ukraine continues its campaign of deep drone strikes on Russian logistics, refineries, and military infrastructure in the rear and occupied Crimea. According to military experts, these actions are aimed at undermining the Kremlin's long-term offensive potential before the autumn months (source: ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4147711-how-cutting-off-crimea-and-southern-ukraine-is-breaking-russias-offensive-momentum.html).