Russian military forces have surrendered more Ukrainian territory than they managed to seize since the start of September, even as Moscow seeks to open high-level diplomatic discussions with Washington, according to recent battlefield assessments and international reports.
An evaluation published by the Institute for the Study of War showed that Ukrainian forces have achieved a net gain of 241 square kilometers over Russian troops since Sept. 1, UNITED24 Media reported. The Washington-based think tank determined that Russian territorial expansion throughout 2026 has slowed to an average rate of approximately 0.25 square kilometers per day.
Ukrainian Counterattacks Reclaim Ground
Battlefield initiative has increasingly shifted toward Ukrainian units across several active sectors, according to the think tank’s findings. A major turning point occurred along the Lyman axis during Operation Vivaldi, where Ukrainian soldiers liberated more than 270 square kilometers of territory. That operation succeeded in disrupting Russian efforts to endanger Ukraine’s fortified defensive line known as the Fortress Belt in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces also carried out surprise tactical maneuvers in the northeast. During Operation VELES along the Kupiansk front, troops coordinated by the 2nd Khartiia Corps of Ukraine’s National Guard navigated more than 15 kilometers through underground networks before surfacing to attack Russian defensive positions from behind, UNITED24 Media reported.
The counteroffensives have coincided with a sharp rise in Russian casualties. Citing Ukrainian estimates, the Institute for the Study of War noted that Russian personnel losses surpassed nearly 37,000 troops during the first several weeks of October 2026. By comparison, Russia recorded 31,270 casualties during the entire month of October 2025. Military analysts warned that recruiting shortfalls could eventually compel Russian commanders to seek an additional military mobilization if high casualty numbers continue to outstrip replacements.
Moscow Seeks Sanctions Relief in Talks
As front-line momentum faltered, the Kremlin signaled an interest in direct engagement with the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin met recently with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of the U.S. president, according to a report by Iranian news outlet Nour News. Following the meeting, Russian officials expressed an openness to reviving bilateral economic relations, exporting fertilizer and diesel fuel, and restarting trilateral discussions regarding Ukraine beginning Nov. 10.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that an initial tanker transporting 40,000 tons of diesel fuel was scheduled to depart for the U.S., Nour News reported. Russian officials are seeking the removal of Western economic sanctions as part of the diplomatic overtures.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that restoring standard diplomatic and economic ties with Western nations remains conditional on an absolute and total lifting of sanctions, comparing any normalization without sanctions relief to walking across a minefield.
Alliances With Tehran and Beijing
Despite outreach to Washington, Moscow emphasized that its strategic partnerships with Iran and China remain intact. Nour News reported that Putin highlighted decades of close relations with Tehran during his discussions with Witkoff.
“You know that we have special relations with Iran, with our partners and friends in that country, based on trust, because these relations have taken shape and grown stronger over several decades,” Putin said, adding that Moscow would participate in any effort to de-escalate regional tensions.
Concurrently, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to secure stable deliveries of Russian natural gas and crude oil, Nour News reported. The Kremlin continues to monitor Western military movements near Russian and Belarusian frontiers as it balances its front-line challenges against broader international negotiations.
