Russian land gains dwindling while diesel goes unsold signals dual pressure on Ukraine war effort.
Context
What happened: Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine fell to almost nothing this year, per ISW and Kyiv's military, while Ukraine struck eight Russian refineries in seven days and four diesel tankers reportedly went unsold.
Key numbers: 117.38 sq km seized in the first 10 months of 2026, versus 5,304 sq km in 2025 and 3,604 sq km in
Why it matters: Zelenskyy and his prime minister cited these trends as the reason Russia is intensifying long-range strikes on energy infrastructure, and the refinery campaign aims to cut Russian export revenue and undercut the Putin-Trump diesel arrangement.
What changed
Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine fell to almost nothing this year, per ISW and Kyiv's military, while Ukraine struck eight Russian refineries in seven days and four diesel tankers reportedly went unsold.
Why it matters
Zelenskyy and his prime minister cited these trends as the reason Russia is intensifying long-range strikes on energy infrastructure, and the refinery campaign aims to cut Russian export revenue and undercut the Putin-Trump diesel arrangement.
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Nov 06, 2026 07:18 PM ET