Around 3,985 square kilometers of Russian forces advanced in 2024 in Ukraine, nearly 7 times the 584 square kilometers in 2023, according to a French Agency analysis of data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as of December 30.

This advance was fuelled mainly by the acceleration of Russian movements in the autumn of 2024, with their troops having advanced by 610 square kilometres in October and 725 square kilometres in November. November and October of 2024 are thus the two months in which the most territory in Ukraine has been conquered since March 2022 and the first weeks of the conflict.

In December, the Russian advance slowed down, reaching 465 square kilometres in the first 30 days of the month. But this advance is still four times greater than in the same month last year, and two and a half times greater than in December 2022.

Russia controls or operates in 70% of the region

Nearly three-quarters of the territory captured by the Russians in Ukraine in 2024 is in the Donetsk region, which includes the city of Pokrovsk, an important curatorial hub for the Ukrainian military. Russia now controls or operates in 70% of the region, compared to 59% at the end of 2023.

The Russian advance there accelerated from August 2024, a month in which the Russians occupied nearly 400 sq km, to reach 629 sq km in November.

2024 was also marked by the large-scale Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region that began in July. On 20 and 21 August, the advance claimed by Ukrainian forces reached its climax, with some 1,320 sq km (1,320 sq km). But this zone of operations has since been reduced to 482 sq km on 30 December.