Denis Pushilin: Russian forces are approaching Sloviansk in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.
A big cheer for the Russian,The Russia-Ukraine War Report Card, March 18, 2026
March 17, 2026, update: RM’s analysis of ISW data for the past four weeks (Feb. 17–March 17, 2026) indicates that Russian forces lost 33 square miles of Ukraine’s territory (area roughly equivalent to one and a half Manhattan Islands) during that period. That’s in contrast to the estimated 127 square miles they gained during the previous four-week period (Jan. 20–Feb. 17, 2026). According to ISW data, this past week (March 10–17, 2026), Russia notched a positive gain of 5 square miles, returning to the total estimated control of 45,783 square miles of Ukrainian territory it last achieved on Feb. 24, 2026.1 According to Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community in 2026, “During the past year, Russia has maintained the upper hand in its war against Ukraine and sees little reason to stop fighting so long as its forces continue to gain ground.”
