Russia’s War Advance Moves Slower Than Your Grandma’s WiFi
KEY POINTS
- •CSIS researchers Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe reported Russia’s slow advances in Ukraine from 2024-2026, peaking at 70 meters per day in Pokrovsk.
- •The analysis shows Russia’s pace is slower than WWI’s Somme, with huge casualties of approximately 415,000 in 2025 alone.
- •Russia has made somewhat better progress around Huliaipole since November 2025, advancing roughly 297 meters daily amid heavy drone surveillance.
According to CSIS brainiacs Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe, Russia's 2024-2026 military advance in Ukraine is so glacial it makes old dial-up internet look like fiber optic. The Kremlin's troops slog through Pokrovsk at a breathtaking 70 meters per day — roughly the length of a soccer field over an entire day, slower than WWI’s Somme nightmare pace of 80 meters daily. The 2025 casualty toll? A staggering 415,000 Russians, averaging 35,000 down every month. Meanwhile, drone saturation near front lines makes maneuvering trickier than threading a needle in a tornado. Even the Soviet Union's 1943 Leningrad push moved 1,000 meters daily — 14 times faster than now. Oh, and a recent offensive near Huliaipole speeds by at 297 meters a day, proving slow progress does have its exceptions.
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Russia’s front line pace is the military equivalent of a group chat that never replies—70 meters a day and lots of casualties but zero momentum. Even WWI’s Somme looks like a thrilling Uber ride compared to this slog.
Moving 70 meters a day isn't a breakthrough, it's a power walk through a muddy bog with Putin yelling 'faster!' from the sidelines.
Russia’s ‘offensive momentum’ looks more like that leftover treadmill workout you barely finish—slow, painful, and nobody impressed.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 1/29/2026 | Author: Matthew Loh
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