ISW analysis

Russia lost 81 square kilometers in September despite Putin’s 1,301 claim — ISW

Russian President Vladimir Putin dramatically exaggerated Russia’s battlefield gains in Ukraine in September 2026, claiming his forces captured 1,301 square kilometers (502 square miles) when they actually suffered a net territorial loss, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Oct. 2.

3 October, 02:35 PM

Russia's Starlink satellite rival fails to reach orbit again

A second batch of Russian Rassvet satellites — which Russia has claimed are equivalent to Starlink — failed to reach the altitude needed for operation in space, according to the latest report from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War released on Aug. 31.

1 September, 05:13 PM

Russia reduces Shahed drones, scales up ballistic strikes on Ukraine

Russia reduced the number of strike drones used in its mass attacks in July 2026, prioritizing ballistic missiles to exploit Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on July 30.

31 July, 08:59 AM

Putin seeks to shift personal responsibility for Ukraine war onto public — ISW

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is seeking to militarize his population and shift personal responsibility for the war against Ukraine onto ordinary Russians and State Duma deputies, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on July 27.

28 July, 10:00 AM

ISW debunks Putin's unrealistic deadline to capture Donetsk Oblast by late 2026

The Kremlin is setting unrealistic deadlines for its military to fully capture Donetsk Oblast, contradicting actual battlefield realities as their advance significantly dropped in 2026, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on June 30.

1 July, 11:08 AM

ISW: Ukrainian attacks on supply routes are weakening Russian military logistics

Ukrainian strikes on Russian transport and railway infrastructure are already disrupting Russian ground lines of communication and supply while degrading Russian logistics on the east bank of Kherson Oblast and in occupied Crimea, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a June 20 assessment.

21 June, 12:59 PM

Moscow increasingly masks devastating strikes on Ukraine as 'retaliation' - ISW

Russian officials are increasingly using alleged Ukrainian attacks on civilians to justify devastating strikes on Ukraine under the pretext of retaliation, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on June 3.

4 June, 11:13 AM

Moscow could exploit Belarus to target critical transit routes from Poland

Russia may use Belarusian territory to launch drones and precision strikes against key logistics routes in Ukraine, particularly supply lines from Poland, an Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 26.

27 May, 10:16 AM

Ukraine advances near key Donetsk cities as Russia escalates infantry attacks

Ukrainian defense forces have advanced in the Slovyansk and Kostiantynivka sectors of Donetsk Oblast, the Institute for the Study of War reported on April 30.

1 May, 11:05 AM

Russian forces launch deadly 'human safari' using FPV drones to hunt civilians — ISW

Russian forces continue to deliberately strike civilians with drones in southern Ukraine, using this tactic as a weapon of war, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on April 7.

8 April, 08:45 AM

Russian oil strikes expose air defense strain as war bloggers warn of missile shortages — ISW

Ukraine is expanding its long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure as Russian war bloggers complain their own air defenses are ineffective and unable to limit the damage from those attacks, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report on April 6.

7 April, 10:49 AM

Russia stalls near Sloviansk as spring offensive grinds into Ukraine’s eastern defenses

Russian forces are making only difficult and limited progress toward Sloviansk after launching their spring-summer offensive, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report on March 29.

30 March, 10:18 AM

Russia launches 982-target strike on Ukraine, setting record and shifting tactics

Russia launched its largest strike of the war on March 23–24, firing 982 aerial targets — including nearly 1,000 drones and 34 missiles — at Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said on March 24.

25 March, 10:21 AM

Russia deploys PMCs to guard infrastructure as Ukrainian drone strikes hit rear

Russia is deploying private military companies to protect critical infrastructure inside the country from Ukrainian drone attacks, the Institute for the Study of War said on March 23.

24 March, 10:05 AM

Russia ramps up mechanized assaults, signals spring offensive push across front — ISW

Russian troops have increased mechanized assaults along the front in recent days as part of intensified preparations for a spring-summer 2026 offensive, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report on March 20.

21 March, 10:30 AM

Ukraine intensifies deep strikes on Russian military sites to disrupt 2026 offensive — ISW report

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have intensified strikes on Russian military targets in occupied territories to disrupt Moscow’s planned spring-summer offensive, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on March 14.

15 March, 12:25 PM

Moscow without mobile internet for a week as Kremlin tightens online censorship

The Kremlin is intensifying internet censorship and restrictions across Russia, a move that may indicate Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is uncertain about the stability of his regime, the Institute for the Study of War said in its March 12 report.

13 March, 10:35 AM

Ukraine strike on Russian chip plant sparks revolt among pro-war bloggers — ISW

Ukraine’s March 10 strike on the Kremniy El plant in Bryansk — a critical microchip manufacturer — triggered a sharp reaction in Russia, exposing divisions between state propaganda and pro-war commentators, the Institute for the Study of War said in its March 11 report.

12 March, 10:28 AM

Russia redeploys elite airborne units south after Ukraine counteroffensive — ISW

Russia has redeployed elite airborne and naval infantry units from the Pokrovsk sector and the area around Dobropillia to southern Ukraine in response to recent Ukrainian battlefield gains in Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, the Institute for the Study of War reported on March 7.

8 March, 01:40 PM

Russia intensifies Shahed strikes on Ukrainian railways to paralyze frontline logistics

Russian forces are intensifying Shahed drone strikes on Ukrainian railways as part of a broader battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on March 4.

5 March, 09:35 AM

ISW analysis

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