ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 1, 2026

Key Takeaways from the ISW: Russian forces’ rate of advance marginally increased in August 2026, but Russia’s Spring-Summer 2026 offensive has failed to achieve operational maneuver or rapidly collapse Ukrainian lines. Russian gains remain slow and limited. Russian forces continued to suffer a high casualty rate in August 2026 for the second month in a row, paying an increasingly high price for limited battlefield gains. Senior German officials and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explicitly attributed the August 5 drone attack targeting Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia. Additional details regarding Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi’s efforts to erect new operational commands to defend Donetsk Oblast are emerging. Russian forces are shifting their strike tactics to maximize civilian harm by leveraging jet-powered drones over slower and less effective piston-engine-driven drones, likely because jet-powered drones are more difficult to intercept. Russian President Vladimir Putin is augmenting the force that ensures his personal safety and the security of Russian high-ranking officials. Putin conducted a substantial reshuffle within Russian law enforcement agencies on August 31, likely in preparation for potential mobilization following the State Duma elections. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces advanced on September 1. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil refineries and military assets. Russia launched an unspecified number of Iskander-M, KN-23, and S-400 ballistic missiles, Zirkon anti-ship missiles, Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles, Kh-31P anti-radar missiles, and Banderol-type loitering munitions against Ukraine overnight. Russian forces also launched 218 Shahed-type strike drones overnight on August 31 to September 1 and 99 strike drones during the day on September 1. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. See the original here.