fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Russian military attrition › Article

Russian rate of losses in Ukraine almost triples in one year

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · · 1036 words · By John T Psaropoulos
Russian military attrition Economic instability of Russia Aerial warfare and strategic strikes
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Ready to play
Daily briefing

What to know about Russian military attrition

Russian rate of losses in Ukraine almost triples in one year Territorially, Russia is at a standstill in 2026, assessments of its ground war reveal.

Claims checked 20
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Russian rate of losses in Ukraine almost triples in one year Territorially, Russia is at a standstill in 2026, assessments of its ground war reveal.

Why it matters

Evidence of Russia’s poor performance in its war in Ukraine, both militarily and economically, has been mounting over the past week.

Common ground

The US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has confirmed earlier assessments that Russia has lost territory it previously occupied in Ukraine.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/29/russian-rate-of-losses-in-ukraine-almos…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10
info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
cancel Disputed 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “On May 21, Kherson occupation governor Vladimir Saldo restricted movement along the M-14 highway connecting Mariupol, Berdyansk and Melitopol”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (ISW and other news reports) confirm that Vladimir Saldo signed a decree on May 21, 2026, restricting movement on the M-14 highway.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 22, 2026 ... Kherson Oblast occupation head Vladimir Saldo signed a decree on May 21 restricting the movement ... [5] The R-280/M-14 is a primary land route ...
https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/russian-offensive-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 ... ... Vladimir Saldo signed a decree on May 21 restricting movement... ... The Ukrainian Armed Forces have seized fire control over the M-14 highway ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY2hJlHih6U/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 23, 2026 ... ... May 2026 14:45. Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics are ... Saldo's decision to restrict traffic on Highway M-14 indicates that ...
https://ua.news/en/all-news/ukrayinski-udari-po-logistitsi-r…
info
Claim 2: “Ukraine retook approximately 400 square kilometres in and around Dnipropetrovsk – more territory than at any time since late 2022 – during the quarter”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is specifically reported by Al Jazeera citing a report to Congress on May 18. While other sources discuss the region, only this specific source provides the 400 sq km figure for that timeframe.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (Ukrainian: Дніпропетровська область, romanized: Dnipropetrovska oblast), also commonly known as Dnipropetrovshchyna (Ukrainian: Дніпропетровщина), is an oblast (province) in sou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnipropetrovsk_Oblast
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russian occupation of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is a military occupation of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast by Russia after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. The oblast's capital, Dnipro, was not successfull…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_occupation_of_Dniprope…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the Russo-Ukrainian war covers the period from 1 January to 31 May 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Russo-Ukrainia…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “Ukraine’s General Staff said it was a strike on a centre for Advanced Unmanned Technologies run by Rubikon, Russia’s unmanned systems force.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “On May 24, Russia launched 600 long-range drones and 90 missiles against Kyiv and surrounding areas, including 36 ballistic missiles.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 5: “Russia’s gold reserves are at their lowest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses gold prices and general reserves but does not confirm if reserves are at their lowest since February 2022.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — READ MORE: Russian gold reserves reach all time high. The operations to offset NWF transactions are carried out inside Russia and would not represent a material erosion of Russia’s gold holdings.
https://thepoliticreview.com/buckets-and-bullion-behind-the-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Historically, Gold reached an all time high of 5608.35 in January of 2026. Gold - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on June 12 of 2026.
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/gold
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Published 06/11/2026, 10:39 PM. Updated 06/12/2026, 05:09 PM.Against this backdrop, crude benchmarks fell on Friday, with Brent crude futures expiring in August, the global oil benchmark, hitting thei…
https://www.investing.com/news/commodities-news/gold-set-for…
schedule
Claim 6: “On May 23 Ukraine struck an oil depot and offloading terminal at Novorossiysk on the Black Sea”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 7: “Ukraine managed to shoot down 91 percent of the drones and 81 percent of the cruise missiles, while 19 missiles likely missed their targets.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 8: “Russia advanced by a net 104 sq km (40 sq miles) between January 1 and May 26, 2026, compared to its seizure of 1,619 sq km (625 sq miles) during the same period last year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures (104 sq km net gain vs 1,619 sq km last year) are reported by Al Jazeera citing ISW. No other independent source in the provided evidence confirms these exact numbers.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The foreign relations of the Russian Federation is the policy arm of the government of Russia which guides its interactions with other nations, their citizens, and foreign organizations. This article …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Russia
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The State of Israel is represented in the Russian Federation through an embassy in Moscow and a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg. Russia is represented in Israel through an embassy in Tel Aviv an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel–Russia_relations
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the Russo-Ukrainian war covers the period from 1 January to 31 May 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Russo-Ukrainia…
+ 3 more evidence sources
cancel
Claim 9: “Russia has sold 27.9 tonnes of its gold reserves this year, worth more than $4bn.”
DISPUTED
One source (Informist Media) and another report mention the sale of 22,000 kg (22 tonnes) of gold in 2026, which contradicts the claim's figure of 27.9 tonnes.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russian(s) may refer to: Russians (Russian: русские, romanized: russkiye), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries A citizen of Russia or a pe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russians (Russian: русские, romanized: russkiye [ˈruskʲɪje] ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian, the most spoken Slavic language. The majority of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 10: “At least 87 people were injured, Zelenskyy said, and two were immediately confirmed to have been killed.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 11: “Russia losing access to Starlink satellite services used for targeting and counter-battery fire [led to Ukraine's clawback of 400 sq km].”
SINGLE SOURCE
Al Jazeera explicitly reports that the DIA attributed the 400 sq km clawback to Russia losing access to Starlink. Other sources mention Starlink interference but not this specific causal link for the 400 sq km gain.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 5, 2026 · Russia has reportedly deployed advanced tech to interfere with Starlink satellite internet, leading to more outages on Ukraine's northern front.
https://www.facebook.com/PakistanTVGlobal/posts/the-ukrainia…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 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 ...
https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 · The DIA attributed Ukraine's clawback of 400 sq km (154.5 sq miles) of its territory to Russia losing access to Starlink satellite services ...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/29/russian-rate-of-los…
schedule
Claim 12: “Russian President Vladimir Putin described that as “a terror attack on a student dormitory of the Starobilsk pedagogical college”, and said it had killed six students and injured 39.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 13: “On May 28, Sweden announced it would donate 16 Gripen warplanes to Ukraine, which would also purchase an additional 20 through the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan in a deal worth $2.9bn.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Sweden donating Gripen warplanes or a $2.9bn EU loan on May 28, 2026.
schedule
Claim 14: “one of the missiles used in the May 24 attack on Kyiv was its newest, the Oreshnik intermediate range missile, which it has also forward-positioned in Belarus.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “The following day Ukraine struck the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, also on the Black Sea.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “military and industrial sites were attacked, including the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Perm, 1,700 kilometres inside Russia, and the Taganrog Airbase in Rostov”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 17: “Russian casualties had increased to 145,000 this year, of which 86,000 were killed and 59,000 troops seriously wounded.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided discusses general casualties or unrelated 2026 events, but does not contain the specific breakdown of 145,000 casualties (86k killed, 59k wounded) for the year 2026.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events in the year 2026 in Russia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_Russia
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Russian elections will be held in Russia, in large part, on Sunday, 20 September 2026 (single election day), with several regions likely to allow voting on 18 and 19 September. There will be …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Russian_elections
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Legislative elections are scheduled be held in Russia from 18–20 September 2026. At stake are 450 seats in the State Duma of the 9th convocation, the lower house of the Federal Assembly. Going into th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Russian_legislative_elect…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 18: “On May 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, that Russia would begin striking “military sites” in Kyiv in retaliation for Starobilsk.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 19: “Russia drops approximately 3,000 [glide bombs] a week”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the claim about 3,000 glide bombs per week.
verified
Claim 20: “Russian forces had infiltrated and contested another 628 sq km (242.5 sq miles), but did not take control.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim contains irrelevant results (trams, ancient wars) and does not contain the specific figure of 628 sq km contested territory.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 71-628 is a Russian fully low-floor tram model built by Ust-Katav Wagon-Building Plant since 2020. The tram is based on the unrealised 71-625 project and is a development of the partially low-floo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/71-628
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628, also called the Last Great War of Antiquity, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. It was the final and most devastating conflict of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine–Sasanian_War_of_602–…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world, spanning eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.