Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russian forces have captured nearly 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in 2025, asserting that Moscow retains the “complete strategic initiative” on the battlefield.
Addressing a meeting with top Russian military commanders, Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces were in retreat across the front line.
Key Claims and Territory
According to a Kremlin transcript of the meeting, held near St. Petersburg, the Russian President detailed the claimed gains since the start of the year:
“At this time, the Russian armed forces fully hold the strategic initiative,” Putin said. He elaborated on the extent of the claimed advances, stating, “This year, we have liberated nearly 5,000 square km of territory — 4,900 — and 212 localities.”
The claimed 2025 gains account for nearly one percent of Ukraine’s total land area. Putin added that Ukrainian forces “are retreating throughout the line of combat contact, despite attempts at fierce resistance.”
While Russia’s Defense Ministry reported the capture of two more villages along the 1,250 km front line, Ukraine has historically contested and dismissed Russia’s claims of large-scale battlefield success.
Putin reiterated that Russia’s stated objectives for the “special military operation,” launched in February 2022, remain the same: “demilitarising and denazifying” its smaller neighbor.
