Russia's Spring Offensive Slows to a Crawl, Costs 19 Times More Blood Per Kilometer

Russia’s spring offensive is grinding forward at a fraction of last year’s pace, according to a new analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The think tank reports that Russian forces are advancing 16 times slower than they did during the same period in 2023. The cost of this slow advance is staggering: for every square kilometer of territory captured, Russia is suffering 19 times more casualties than it did last year. The data highlights a brutal trade-off for Moscow, where even minor territorial gains come at an increasingly heavy human price. The offensive’s diminished speed and soaring losses suggest that Russian military resources are being stretched thin.