The scale, range, and intensity of Ukraine's operations to strike deep into Russian territory are increasing, writes The Economist. In April, the Russian Armed Forces lost more territory than they could capture.
Ukraine, it seems, has for the first time in the last three years seized the initiative in the war from Russia. This observation was published on May 10 by The Economist on its website. "Having gone through a harsh winter, when its cities and energy system were subjected to massive attacks by Russian drones and missiles almost every night, Ukraine is now changing the situation. With almost every action, it is inflicting increasingly significant damage on Russia," the article states, writes DW.
As the authors remind, "the anticipated spring offensive by Russia turned out to be a dud," and in April 2026, the Russian Armed Forces lost more territory than they could occupy for the first time since August 2024 (when the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured part of the Kursk region of Russia). According to The Economist's calculations, based on maps published by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has lost control over an area of 133 square meters in the last 30 days.
Successful Attacks by Ukrainian Drones on Targets in Russia
At the same time, the scale, range, and intensity of Ukraine's operations to strike deep into Russian territory are increasing, the publication notes. "In March, Ukraine for the first time surpassed Russia in the number of strikes carried out using long-range drones," the authors state. "Regular strikes are being made on economic and military targets located nearly 2000 km from the Ukrainian border. Thus, 70% of the population of Russia finds itself within the reach of Ukrainian drones."
According to data in The Economist's publication, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost 1.4 million people killed and seriously wounded, with military losses amounting to 35,000 people per month.
According to Sir Lawrence Freedman, an honorary professor at the Department of War Studies at King's College London, the next few months will be crucial for the development of the situation in the war, which will show whether Russia can counter Ukraine's successes in the drone domain and whether it is gathering significant forces for a summer offensive.
On May 11, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, stated that Ukraine is now in a much better position than a year ago, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is "in a weaker position than ever."
