Russia Gains More Ground in Fourth Year of Ukraine War

The Russian army has seized more territory in the fourth year of the Ukraine war than in the previous two years combined, according to an analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Since February 24, 2025—the third anniversary of Russia's invasion—Moscow's forces have captured 4,524 square kilometres (1,750 square miles), slightly larger than the US state of Rhode Island. An additional 731 square kilometres claimed by Russia remain unconfirmed.

While the second year of the conflict saw little change in territorial control, the third year recorded 4,143 square kilometres gained by Russian forces. In the fourth year, over half of the newly seized areas are under full Russian control, with the remainder being contested territories. These gains represent about 0.8 percent of Ukraine’s total land.

Currently, Russia occupies just over 19 percent of Ukraine, most of which was taken in the early weeks of the invasion. Roughly seven percent, including Crimea and parts of Donbas, was under Russian or pro-Russian separatist control even before the 2022 invasion.

Despite negotiations between the two sides during the fourth year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said major differences remain on key issues.

One of Russia's most significant recent gains is Pokrovsk, a strategic hub in eastern Donetsk located around 600 kilometres from Kyiv, captured on December 1 after more than a year of encirclement. Most of Russia's advances have been in the Donetsk region, covering 2,020 square kilometres, with occasional operations spilling into Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk. In June 2025, Russian forces advanced beyond Donetsk for the first time, operating over at least 230 square kilometres in neighboring areas.