[Korrespondent] Since January 2024, Russia has occupied 1.5% of Ukraine's territory
These studies demonstrate the "sluggish progress" of Russian troops on the front: the occupiers advance from 15 to 70 meters per day.
Ukraine's losses in the war could be around 600,000 soldiers killed and wounded, while Russia's losses are around 1.2 million. Total losses, including missing people, are around 1.8 million and could reach 2 million by spring 2026, according to a new study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
According to experts, it is difficult to give exact figures due to excessive and deliberate secrecy of information on the part of both sides of the conflict: Moscow underestimates losses, and Kyiv does not disclose them officially. According to the study, in 2025 alone, the number of Russian military casualties was 415 thousand, which is equal to about 35 thousand per month. At the same time, from 100 to 140 thousand Ukrainian servicemen have died since the beginning of the war. It is also estimated that among the North Korean mercenaries out of 15 thousand sent to the DPRK, several hundred could have died.
It is noted that the information is based on estimates from the US and British governments and demonstrates the "sluggish progress" of Russian troops on the front: the occupiers advance from 15 to 70 meters per day. As of January 2024, Russia has occupied 1.5% of Ukraine's territory. In key battles, this pace is significantly inferior even to the slow advances of the First World War.
Examples of Russian offensives:
- Chasiv Yar – 15 meters per day (10 km in 23 months).
- Kupyansk – 23 meters per day (9.5 km in 14 months).
- Pokrovsk – 70 meters per day (50 km in 23 months).
- Hulyaipole – 297 meters per day (still assessed as slow pace).
At the same time, the list notes the rapid operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
- Liberation of Kherson in November 2022 – 590 meters per day.
- The advance in Robotyne in the summer of 2023 is at an average pace of 90 meters per day.
- The Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022 – about 7,400–7,500 meters per day, which was among the fastest offensives of our time due to the surprise effect and weak Russian defense.
- The Kursk operation of August 2024 – about 1,250 meters per day, provided by the surprise factor and shortcomings in the defense preparation of Russian troops.