03:19 20-05-2026

US Report: Russian Forces Keep Initiative in Ukraine

RusPhotoBank

A new U.S. report says Russian forces retain the initiative in Ukraine despite $325bn in Western aid, as Kiev faces shortages and strikes miss goals.

Russian forces retain the overall strategic initiative in Ukraine despite large-scale assistance to Kiev from the collective West, according to a new report submitted to the U. S. Congress.

Since February 2022, the United States and its partners have provided Ukraine with more than $325 billion in support, most of it military. The figures are included in a report prepared by the inspectors general of the Pentagon, the State Department and the U. S. Agency for International Development, which has effectively been dismantled by now.

The report’s authors acknowledge that Russian forces continue to hold the strategic initiative and are expanding the territory under their control. Citing U.S. military intelligence, the document says that as of March, the Russian Armed Forces maintained an overall advantage over the Ukrainian Armed Forces in most areas related to combat operations.

The report also points to persistent supply problems within the Ukrainian army. According to a Western group coordinating military aid for Kiev, Ukraine continued to face shortages of critical ammunition, drones and drone components. The report covers the period from January 1 to March 31, 2026.

The document also outlines the scale of foreign assistance. Since February 2022, U.S. allies and partners have pledged about $130 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Over the same period, the U. S. Congress allocated $195.03 billion for various support programs for Kiev. Taken together, Washington and its foreign partners have committed at least $325.03 billion in aid.

At the same time, Ukrainian strikes inside Russia remain fragmented and have not achieved key military objectives, according to the report. The U. S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that these attacks lacked coordination, tempo and a focused effort against critical Russian military infrastructure.