Russia's largest advance in Ukraine since early invasion days
Over the past month, Russian forces have occupied approximately 725 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This surpasses their October gains when they seized around 610 square kilometres, as reported by the AFP agency, citing data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The primary Russian offensive is concentrated in the Donetsk region, where Pokrovsk is a key city. This city serves the Ukrainian army as a logistical hub, facilitating further defensive actions.
According to AFP, about 690 square kilometres, or 90% of the area captured by the Russians in November, is situated in this region.
In recent weeks, Moscow has announced the capture of many localities south and east of Pokrovsk, bringing the Russian army to within less than 5 kilometres, as calculated by AFP.
The Ukrainian army controls less than one-third of the Donetsk region. In January 2024, Ukrainian forces had control over 40% of this region.
The Russian offensive has gained momentum: the largest since the start of the war
The Russian offensive only picked up speed in the spring of 2024. Including the territories seized in November, Moscow has managed to occupy 3,500 square kilometres of Ukraine in 2024, which is six times more than in 2023.
The last time Russia captured Ukrainian land so rapidly was at the onset of the invasion. In March 2022, Moscow held 45,450 square kilometres of Ukraine. However, at that time, the front line was much more fluid, and the aggressors were at the gates of Kyiv, noted AFP.
In total, from the beginning of the full-scale aggression in February 2022 to November 30, 2024, Russia has occupied 68,018 square kilometres of Ukraine. Including Crimea and parts of the Donbas, Moscow currently controls 18.4% of Ukraine's territory.
