In January 2025, the Russian military occupied 430 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, according to ISW. In November last year, Russian troops captured 725 square kilometers of Ukrainian land, but in December, their pace slowed, with the enemy taking control of 476 square kilometers.
The aggressor’s advance into Ukraine traditionally slows down in winter. In January 2023, it gained 285 square kilometers, and 146 square kilometers in January 2024. The current higher indicators indicate that Russian forces have maintained their numerical superiority over the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has been observed since the summer of last year.
Ukraine is also losing territories it had captured in the Kursk region, and the size of the territory it controls in January decreased from 483 to 442 square kilometers.
However, in order to achieve these new gains Russia had to endure 48,240 soldiers killed and wounded in January alone. This is equivalent to more than three motorized rifle divisions. The highest monthly losses for the entire war were recorded in December of last year – 48,670 soldiers.