Russia Matters

In this evolving draft, Simon Saradzhyan breaks down the military, political and economic factors that might help answer whether the Russia-Ukraine war has reached a turning point and if it favors Kyiv:

Has the Russian-Ukraine war reached a turning point favoring Ukraine? | Russia Matters Has the Russian-Ukraine war reached a turning point favoring Ukraine? July 02, 2026 Simon Saradzhyan To hear multiple Western and some Ukrainian commentators say it, the Russian-Ukrainian war has reached a turning point in the past month or so, and it favors Kyiv. As early as April 1, 2026, Kateryna...

DS Data Shows Russians Continue to Make Small Gains
Plus: Winter is coming.

Russia in Review, June 18–26, 2026 | Russia Matters Russia in Review, June 18–26, 2026 4 Things to KnowBased on data from Ukraine’s DeepState OSINT group, the past four weeks (May 26–June 23, 2026) saw Russian forces make a net gain of 12 square miles of Ukrainian territory (about half the size of Manhattan Island). In comparison, during the pr...

Kuleba cautions against claims that the war has reached a “turning point.” Plus: Jarábik of R. Politik on the mixed battlefield. This and more in our weekly analysis round-up. https://www.russiamatters.org/news/russia-analytical-report/russia-analytical-report-june-8-15-2026
(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Russia-Ukraine war is now longer than WWI. Plus, SACEUR says Russia is not looking for a conflict with NATO. This and more in our weekly news round-up.

Russia in Review, June 5–12, 2026 | Russia Matters Russia in Review, June 5–12, 2026 3 Things to KnowData from Ukraine’s DeepState OSINT group indicates that in the past four weeks (May 12–June 9, 2026), Russian forces endured a net loss of 1 square mile. In comparison, the previous four-week period (April 14–May 12, 2026) saw Russia make ...