ISW

2 briefs

conflict 2026-05-04

Russia Lost Ground in Ukraine for the First Time Since 2024. Ukraine Raised Its Nuclear Preparedness.

ISW confirms Russian forces ceded 116 square kilometers in April. Ukraine's military simultaneously elevated its nuclear readiness protocols. Both facts arrived in the same week.

conflict 2026-05-03

Russia Lost Ground in April. Ukraine Is Striking Oil Refineries 1,600 Kilometers Deep.

For the first time since Ukraine's Kursk incursion, Russia suffered a net territorial loss in a single month. Whether it matters depends on why it happened.