As of 07:30 Bulgarian time on July 26, the situation on the front line in Ukraine remains highly complicated.
It is characterized by intense positional fighting, a lack of large-scale territorial changes in recent days, and an intensifying campaign of air strikes far behind the front line.
Russian forces continue to maintain numerical superiority and exert pressure in key directions in the Donetsk region, where the main ground battles are being fought. The Russian Defense Ministry reported tactical progress and the establishment of control over the settlement of Belitskoye (Donetsk region).
However, according to the daily analysis of the American Institute for the Study of War, the Russian army remains optimized primarily for a grueling positional war. It is paying heavy casualties for achieving limited local successes, with no prospects for a rapid mechanized breakthrough.
In the Kharkiv region, Russian attacks are carried out mainly by small infantry groups, and attempts to advance towards Bely Kolodez have been repelled by Ukrainian forces.
The Ukrainian army, under the new command of Major General Mykhailo Drapati (appointed to replace Oleksandr Sirsky), is in better defensive positions thanks to the widespread deployment of innovative unmanned systems and long-range drones. Kiev has made up for the lack of a land offensive with a highly successful campaign to hit Russian logistics, refineries and military assets deep inside Russia.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have carried out large-scale strikes on strategic targets, including the Filanovsky oil platform in the Caspian Sea, an oil refinery in Tyumen, Siberia, and logistics centers in Yekaterinburg. These attacks were confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, Zelensky warned of intelligence indicating that Russia is preparing for a massive missile strike on Ukrainian cities within the next 48 hours, as well as plans to deploy 30,000 new North Korean soldiers to the front (according to information from the Reuters agency - reuters.com).
Currently, the balance of power shows that Russia holds the initiative for local attacks in Donbas, while Ukraine controls the strategic initiative in air and sea space through technological superiority with drones, paralyzing Russian supply.