Key facts
- Russia claims its summer campaign has resulted in the capture of 19 settlements in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
- Russian forces also reportedly took control of the settlement of Rybalskoye in Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukraine claims its troops have captured 28 settlements in Russia's western Kursk region.
- Ukrainian forces control about 386 square miles of Russian territory.
- Thousands of residents in Russia's Kursk region have been ordered to evacuate due to the incursion.
Russian troops have captured 19 settlements in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of their summer campaign, according to the Russian defense ministry. The ministry cited a report from Pyotr Bolgarev, commander of its eastern forces, and separately noted the capture of Rybalskoye in Zaporizhzhia. Reuters could not independently verify these battlefield claims.
Meanwhile, Russian officials stated that Ukrainian troops have seized 28 settlements in Russia's western Kursk region since launching an incursion nearly a week prior. Alexey Smirnov, acting governor of Kursk, described the situation as "difficult" and reported that Ukrainian forces control territory up to 12 kilometers deep and 40 kilometers wide into the region. As a result, approximately 180,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, with about 121,000 having already left. At least 12 people have been killed and 121 wounded in the Kursk region since the offensive began.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Ukraine controls about 386 square miles of Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the operations in Kursk as a security measure for Ukraine and the liberation of border areas. Russia's Defense Ministry announced that additional forces and systems are being delivered to reinforce its group of forces and form reserves in the Kursk region.
In broader battlefield assessments, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Russian rate of advance in Ukraine remains low, with forces making operationally insignificant gains. In July 2026, Russian forces advanced or infiltrated into about 121.56 square kilometers of territory, a fraction of their advance in July 2025. Ukrainian counterattacks, intermediate-range strikes, and drone dominance continue to constrain Russia's ability to advance.