Russia has achieved the most significant territorial expansions since October 2022.
In the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russian troops registered their biggest victories since last October in August. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American strategic think tank, reported that the Russians seized an area of approximately 477 square kilometers in Ukraine during this period, equating to more than 15 square kilometers seized daily.
The advancement of Russian troops was most noticeable in the eastern Ukrainian province of Donetsk. By the close of August 29th, Russian soldiers had closed in on Pokrovsk, a strategically significant city, with just seven kilometers separating the two. Simultaneously, Ukrainian forces managed to gain control of over 1,100 square kilometers of Russian territory in their border region of Kursk by early August, positioning themselves 35 kilometers away from the capital. However, their momentum has since slowed down, with Ukrainian forces now controlling between 1,150 and 1,300 square kilometers in this region.
The Ukrainian military has experienced setbacks in retaking its lands from Russian forces. As per ISW data, Ukraine has racked up more losses than victories on the ground this year, with successful deterring days numbering fewer than ten. Even on these scarce victory days, the gains were minimal, according to the same source.
By the beginning of this week, Russian forces held approximately 66,266 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. If you include the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, the region covered by Russian forces, either confirmed or claimed, equates to 18% of Ukraine's total territory as it was back in 2013.
- Despite these progressions, it's important to note that the European Union has been firmly against Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories and has imposed numerous sanctions on Russia in response.
- The European Union has also been providing military and financial aid to Ukraine to help defend its sovereignty, with several member states sending weaponry and military personnel to assist Ukrainian forces.
