Putin has claimed major battlefield victories in Ukraine, but 2025 figures tell a different story. Ukraine ultimately held Pokrovsk or Chasiv Yar, blocked Russia from Kostiantynivka, and almost cleared Kupiansk—destroying over 1,000 Russian troops. These realities matter as partners consider any future negotiations or shifts in support for Ukraine.
Throughout 2025, the Russian army achieved only minimal territorial gains, capturing 4,336 square kilometers of Ukrainian land. That amounts to just 0.72% of Ukraine’s total territory.
Another comparison is equally important: Ukraine still controls 22% of the Donetsk region—a territory highly coveted by Putin. This is more than 6,000 square kilometers of territory that includes the urban agglomeration of Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka. It is a major fortress stretching for dozens of kilometers—a heavily fortified area where the Russian army could become bogged down for a year or even years.
It is in this direction that Russia has concentrated its largest forces and conducts the highest number of assaults: dozens per day occur in Pokrovsk alone. Over the past year, Russia managed to occupy an additional 10% of the Donetsk region, paying for it with the lives of some 400,000 of its soldiers. For the second year in a row, the number of killed and irreversibly wounded has exceeded this figure.
At the same time, it is important to view the situation in the Donetsk region across the entire period of the...
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