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Ukrainian forces have made significant gains in the war against Russia, recapturing over 600 square km of territory since the start of 2026. According to Oleksandr Syrskyi,Ukraine's top army commander,in May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 more square km of territory than it lost.

Syrskyi did not specify where the gains took place, syaing only that in separate areas of the frontline, Ukrainian forces continued to maintain the initiative.

Last week, analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War found Ukraine retook more territory than it lost in May for the second consecutive month.

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Russia occupies around a fifth of its neighbour: the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, most of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk (Donbas), and large parts of the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

But Ukraine's increasingly effective drone campaigns are disrupting Russia's ability to move troops and supplies to frontline positions, according to the ISW.

'Ukraine's successful mid-range and frontline drone strike campaigns are limiting Russia's ability to transport personnel to the frontline and to supply and sustain frontline positions,' the think tank said.

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Ukraine's increasingly effective long-range drone campaign is piling pressure on Vladimir Putin, striking at the heart of Russia's oil industry , embarrassing the Kremlin on the world stage and compounding a growing list of military and economic setbacks.

Over recent months, Kyiv has repeatedly struck refineries, oil terminals, pumping stations and export facilities deep inside Russian territory.

But several Ukrainian drones have strayed into the airspace of Finland,Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia,stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into NATO's northern borders.

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Ukraine has blamed the incidents on Russia affecting the drone paths with electromagnetic warfare.

On Monday , French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered NATO country Latvia's airspace from Russia, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe's eastern border regions.

The Latvian army, without saying who had launched the drone, said it had entered from Russia 'as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.'

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Authorities had earlier on Monday warned people in eastern Latvian regions to seek shelter indoors because of the threat.

The alert ended when the drone was shot down, the army said, but another air threat warning was issued later on Monday for eastern residents.

Ukraine's attacks come at a particularly difficult moment for Putin as warnings grow that Russia's economy is coming under severe pressure.

Officials are reportedly debating spending cuts as the Kremlin struggles to balance the soaring costs of the war.

Domestically,cuts have been proposed to defence spending, with officials advising it will be difficult to fix Russia's stretched finances without finding a solution.

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Meanwhile, GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler revealed that almost half a million Russian soldiers have now been killed since the invasion began.

She said: 'Putin is going backwards on the battlefield with new intelligence showing that almost half a million Russian soldiers have now been killed since the conflict began.'

The figure is significantly higher than previous public estimates and underlines the staggering losses Russia has suffered during more than four years of war .

And as Russia loses troops, territory and morale, European leaders are taking the chance to push for renewed peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

The leaders of Britain, Germany and France said on Sunday they supported a proposal for talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to secure a ceasefire, and Europe would play a role.