2026-04-04 | UPDATES #162 | Russia recorded almost no territorial gains in March. With just 23 SQ km approximately taken in March and losses elsewhere offsetting that advance. Russia’s rate of advance has collapsed compared with earlier months. (The Guardian)The fighting has not gone quiet. The war is not over. Moscow has not renounced its maximalist gains, not one bit. The big change is that their advance to achieve those aims has slowed already from a snail’s pace to stall completely. The front is still burning across more than 1,200 kilometres. Russian missiles and drones are still hammering Ukrainian cities in what Zelensky has called an “Easter escalation.” Men are still dying every hour from Pokrovsk to Huliaipole. But something important has shifted. The central fact, the one that cuts through all the noise, is this: after more than two years of grinding, costly, attritional offensives, Russia’s land campaign in Ukraine appears to have stalled. (Reuters) Does it have the techniques and resources to trigger movement again? ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Reuters, April 3, 2026 — Zelensky says the frontline situation is the best for Ukraine in 10 months. Reuters, April 3, 2026 — Zelensky denounces an “Easter escalation” as Russia intensifies daytime strikes. Reuters, April 1, 2026 — Russia claims full control of Luhansk; Ukraine disputes it. Associated Press, April 1, 2026 — Kyiv rejects Moscow’s Luhansk claim; AP notes ISW sees Ukrainian tactics disrupting Russian advances. The Guardian / AFP, April 4, 2026 — Russian army records almost no territorial gains in March; January, February and March comparative figures; Starlink/Telegram factor. The Kyiv Independent, April 3–4, 2026 — Zelensky says Russian losses in March topped 35,000; General Staff tally reaches 1,302,370 on April 4. Kyiv Post, April 2, 2026 — Report that Ukrainian forces recaptured more ground in March than they lost; Syrskyi says 480 sq km liberated since late January. Euromaidan Press, April 1–2, 2026 — Russian advance slowing; Kovalenko estimate of 31,960 Russian losses for 155 sq km in March, or 206 troops per sq km. Institute for the Study of War correction, April 3–4, 2026 — March 2026 gains figure corrected to 5.46 sq km after adding Lyptsi-area occupied ground. ----------