Because the struggle drags on in Ukraine, its civilians are once more struggling.
Thirty-eight individuals have been killed within the village of Myla on August 29, when a Russian drone assault struck an ammunition depot. One other 12 have been killed in assaults throughout the nation on September 1.
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Civilian deaths have sharply increased this summer season as Russia is utilizing jet-powered drones, which fly at about half the velocity of a passenger jet and are tougher to intercept than propeller-powered drones.
Jet-powered drones numbered about 2,800 in August, mentioned Ukraine Air Drive spokesman Yurii Ihnat, in contrast with about 1,500 in July, a number of instances the quantity launched in June. Ukraine has an interception fee of greater than 90 p.c in opposition to propeller-powered drones, however solely 60 p.c in opposition to the jet-powered variant, Ihnat mentioned.
Ukraine mentioned Russian forces suffered 42,020 casualties final month, as Moscow’s territorial positive factors dropped to a fraction of final yr’s fee of advance.
Ukrainian armed forces figures confirmed Russia’s month-to-month casualties have been solely barely under July’s 42,860 and nicely above the 39,290 in June.
Al Jazeera can not independently confirm casualty estimates by both facet, but when correct, these summer season figures – 25.8 p.c larger than the casualties Ukraine inflicted within the spring – counsel the excessive Russian casualty fee isn’t a passing occasion.
Russian recruitment charges are regarded as nicely under these totals, estimated by Ukraine at about 32,500 a month this yr.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly shared intelligence suggesting that Russian chief Vladimir Putin will conscript 300,000 or extra troops subsequent month.
Zelenskyy has mentioned that as much as 80 p.c of Russian casualties have been inflicted in Kostiantynivka, the southernmost of Ukraine’s “fortress belt” of cities within the japanese Donetsk area, whose seize Putin has repeatedly prioritised.
Russian forces are thought to regulate solely a portion of town, however have infiltrated greater than 70 p.c of it with scattered particular person troops despatched to drop provides and await reinforcements. Ukrainian drone operators have been concentrating on the troops as Russia replenishes them.
This week it was revealed that Ukrainian commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, strengthened the Donetsk entrance round Sloviansk and Dobropillia, north and south of Kostiantynivka, respectively, however saved the Kostiantynivka entrance largely unchanged. That means Ukraine could also be adopting the tactic of combating a chronic rearguard within the city panorama to inflict attritional losses, because it did within the battles of Bakhmut, Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar.
The struggle for Kostiantynivka has sapped troop power elsewhere on the entrance line, the place Ukraine liberated 130sq km (50 sq. miles) of its land in August, limiting Russia’s total advance.
Russia seized simply over 90sq km (35 sq. miles) in August, estimated the Institute for the Examine of Struggle, a Washington-based suppose tank that assesses territorial positive factors utilizing open-source geolocated sources.
Whereas nonetheless a internet acquire, that’s lower than a fifth of the land Russia seized in August final yr.
Throughout June, July and August this yr, the ISW assessed that Russia gained agency management of 160sq km (60 sq. miles), in contrast with 1,440sq km in the summertime months of 2025 (560 sq. miles) – a 90 p.c lower.
Ukraine’s response
Ukraine has turned its focus from Russian refineries to strikes in opposition to Russian air defences, radar methods and drone launch websites.
Ukraine’s Unmanned Techniques Forces (SBS) destroyed 33 air defence parts in August, growing the annual complete to 263.
Ukraine additionally saved up some strikes on refineries, hitting 12 in August, together with two gas-processing crops and three oil transshipment terminals, in response to its defence ministry.
In the course of the previous week, Ukraine struck the Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl and the Kirishi and Ust-Luga refineries close to Leningrad, all 800km (500 miles) from its border.
These strikes have induced petrol shortages, additional hurting Russia’s financial system.
Ukraine’s navy intelligence reported that sure Russian exports had fallen by 80 p.c in contrast with pre-war ranges. Oil has been among the many hardest hit, as Ukraine has struck terminals and a whole lot of tankers carrying Russian oil within the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Russian oil exports from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk fell from 800,000 barrels a day in July to 350,000 barrels per day in August, mentioned Ukraine’s Overseas Intelligence Service.
“The Russian facet acknowledges that its Black Sea Fleet ships are successfully blockaded in Novorossiysk resulting from our drone strikes and are unable to function at sea,” mentioned Zelenskyy.
“For the reason that Russian fleet is unable to offer escorts for the business and shadow fleet … one of many options being thought-about is to equip civilian ships with small arms, digital warfare (EW) gear and navy personnel,” he mentioned. “We’ll put together acceptable countermeasures.”
The strikes on the oil trade haven’t solely lowered exports. They’ve reverberated throughout the Russian financial system, creating queues at petrol stations and elevating costs for motorists.
This week, Russia prolonged its ban on diesel exports to the top of September to maintain its military and transport trade equipped and sought to import petrol.
Occupied Crimea, the place petrol distribution has been restricted to government-owned automobiles, has been laborious hit.
The Russian-appointed governor of the area, Sergei Aksyonov, mentioned on September 2: “Gasoline provides to the area are at the moment not absolutely assembly the wants of the residents. Sadly, some residents of Crimea will, at this stage, face restricted entry to gasoline”.
