Russia Shifts to Air Offensive as Ground Gains Collapse

Russian ground forces advanced only 516 square kilometers in 2026—less than 8 percent of prior-year gains. Simultaneously, coordinated strikes on Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv on June 2 killed at least 18 and wounded over 100. Since April, confirmed strikes have killed well over 100 civilians across multiple cities. Saturation attacks overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses when frontal progress stalls, straining resources away from the front while maintaining psychological pressure on the population.