May 11 — The loss of Russian soldiers stands at 35,000 per month and exceeds the rate of recruitment of the new soldiers to participate in the invasion of Ukraine, reported The Economist.

In March 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President, said that for every Russian wounded soldier, there are nearly two killed. Last year, the ratio of killed to wounded Russian soldiers could have been between 1:2 and 1:3.

In 2026, Ukrainian drones, which target Russian soldiers and  medical evacuation, raise the killed to wounded ratio up to 80%. 

Also, journalists said that Russia’s expected spring offensive has failed. In April 2026, Russian forces suffered territorial losses for the first time since August 2024 (when Ukraine seized territory in Russia’s Kursk oblast). In total, Russia has lost its control over 113 square kilometers (28 acres) of Ukrainian soil this spring.

The Economist also reported about improvements in Ukraine’s use of long-range drones to attack Russian depots, command posts, and anti-aircraft and medium-range drones to disrupt Russian logistics.

Alexy Chadayev, the director of a drone-development and testing facility in the Russian city of Veliky Novgorod, said that Russia had “lost leadership” over the past six months to Ukraine and was struggling to move units close to the front because of Ukrainian medium-range drones with a range of 50 to 300 kilometers (31 to 186 miles).

In March 2026, Ukraine overtook Russia for the first time in the number of strikes carried out by long-range drones. Ukrainian forces regularly attack economic and military targets located nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The Economist noted that the key question is whether Russia’s setbacks in the war against Ukraine signal that its options are narrowing.

“Much depends on the next few months, and in particular on whether Russia can counter Ukraine’s advances in drones,” said Sir Lawrence Freedman, an emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London.

The journalists also expressed concern that Russia might be conserving its forces for a major offensive this summer.

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