Russia Occupies 125 km² of Ukrainian Land Daily, Putin Confirms

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently disclosed that Russian forces have occupied approximately 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025 alone, averaging around 125 square kilometers per day. This represents about 1 percent of Ukraine’s total landmass, which covers roughly 603,628 square kilometers. Since the conflict began in 2022, Russia has seized nearly 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory, translating to an estimated 120,000 square kilometers under Russian control.

The occupied areas include key regions such as Donbas, Donetsk, Sumy, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson. Control over these areas has strategically weakened Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea, with Russia attempting to sever Ukraine’s maritime connection. Notably, Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and continues to hold it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently presented a map showing the extent of Russian control: 99 percent of Luhansk, 76 percent of Donetsk, 73 percent of Zaporizhia, and 73 percent of Kherson are under Russian occupation.

Russian Military Losses Are Severe

According to official Ukrainian defense sources, Russian military casualties have been catastrophic. Over 1.1 million Russian soldiers have been killed, wounded, or captured since the war’s inception. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are reported to have been killed or injured. Russian equipment losses include the destruction of over 11,000 tanks, more than 33,000 artillery pieces, 427 planes, a submarine, and dozens of boats, reflecting intense fighting and substantial attrition.

International Involvement

Reports indicate that North Korea has been providing direct military assistance to Russia during the conflict, further complicating the war dynamics.