Russia Claims to Have Seized Over 5,100 sq km of Ukrainian Territory in 2025

Russia has publicly declared that its forces captured more than 5,100 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory during 2025, a year marked by intense fighting, major offensives and stalled peace negotiations.

The announcement comes as the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, enters its fourth year, drawing global attention and diplomatic efforts to end the war.

At a year-end press event, senior Russian officials asserted that strategic gains included key towns and rural areas in eastern and northern Ukraine, including Siversk in the Donetsk region and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.

Moscow framed the figures as evidence of battlefield success and growing territorial control that would strengthen its position in potential negotiations.

The Russian government’s claimed territorial expansion in 2025, amounting to over 5,100 sq km, is substantially higher than earlier official figures for the year.

In October 2025, President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces had captured almost 4,900 sq km of Ukrainian land, describing that as “liberated territory” and reaffirming that Moscow held the strategic initiative.

Conflicting Assessments and Battlefield Realities

While Russian authorities have publicised these figures, Ukrainian officials and international analysts remain sceptical of Moscow’s claims.

Kyiv rejects Russian assertions of full control in contested areas, pointing to continued fighting, counterattacks by Ukrainian forces, and discrepancies between official announcements and conditions on the ground.

Observers note that even if Russia has achieved incremental territorial gains, these do not constitute decisive breakthroughs on major fronts.

Battles in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions have remained particularly fierce, with incremental advances rather than sweeping conquests. Ukrainian commanders say Russia’s pressure continues but that Kyiv’s forces have slowed or repelled advances in key sectors.

Independent tracking by military analysts and mapping organisations indicates that territorial control in Ukraine remains fluid and contested, with neither side able to achieve a comprehensive strategic victory.

Some assessments suggest that Russia’s annual gains, while real in some localised areas, may not fully align with Moscow’s higher claims once battlefield contestation and counterattacks are accounted for.

Diplomatic and Strategic Implications

The disclosure of Russia’s claimed territorial gains comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts by the United States and Ukraine to establish a peace plan.

Negotiations have focused on a proposed demilitarised zone, mutual troop withdrawals, and Western security guarantees, though Moscow’s response remains uncertain. Ukraine has stressed that any peace framework must respect its sovereignty and require a ceasefire first.

In Russia, a state-run poll shows that a majority of Russians hope the war could end in 2026, reflecting growing public fatigue and expectations of peace, even if demands for territorial concessions are part of any negotiated settlement.

Despite these diplomatic currents, Moscow continues to portray the conflict as a necessary defence of its interests, while Kyiv and its allies insist that Russian occupation and annexations represent violations of international law that must be reversed for peace to take hold.

The disparity between claims of territorial control underscores the broader challenge of verifying battlefield realities amid ongoing war and propaganda from both sides.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters