Russia has made its most significant territorial gains in Ukraine since 2022 over the past year, a new analysis reveals, as Moscow continued its aerial bombardment with a deadly strike on a residential area of Kharkiv.
Russian Forces Seize Largest Swathe of Land Since Initial Invasion
According to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War, the Russian army captured more than 5,600 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in 2025. This substantial advance represents nearly 1% of the country's land area and marks the Kremlin's most successful year on the battlefield since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The land seized last year exceeds the total amount captured by Russian forces in the previous two years combined. However, it remains far short of the staggering more than 60,000 sq km Russia took during the initial, chaotic months of the war in 2022.
This renewed offensive pressure comes as Ukraine's military continues to grapple with critical shortages of ammunition and air defence systems, leaving its troops outgunned along the sprawling front line.
Kyiv's Diplomatic and Command Shake-Up Amid Unrelenting War
As Russia pressed its advantage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that security advisers from approximately 15 allied nations would gather in Kyiv on Saturday for urgent talks. This meeting, part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year conflict, will include representatives from the European Union and NATO, with a US delegation joining via video link.
In a significant personnel change, President Zelenskyy named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new top aide on Friday. The 39-year-old, who has built a formidable reputation for overseeing daring operations against Russia, will succeed Andriy Yermak. Yermak resigned in November after investigators raided his home as part of a major corruption probe.
"Kyrylo has specialised experience in these areas and sufficient strength to achieve results," Zelenskyy stated. On Telegram, Budanov called his new role "both an honour and a responsibility – at a historic time for Ukraine – to focus on the critically important issues of the state’s strategic security".
Zelenskyy also signalled a further change, proposing to replace Defence Minister Denys Shymhal, appointed just six months ago, with 34-year-old Mykhailo Fedorov, the current Minister of Digital Transformation. The president cited Fedorov's deep involvement in drone warfare and effectiveness in digitising state services.
Civilian Toll Mounts with Deadly Kharkiv Attack
The grim reality of the war struck the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, where a Russian strike on a residential district reduced sections of multi-storey buildings to smouldering rubble. Officials confirmed at least two people were killed, including a three-year-old child, with around 25 others injured.
President Zelenskyy condemned the assault as "heinous," stating on social media, "Unfortunately, this is how the Russians treat life and people – they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, and especially by the United States, in the diplomatic process." The Russian defence ministry denied carrying out the attack, instead suggesting an explosion at the site was caused by Ukrainian ammunition.
In response to the relentless advance, Ukrainian officials on Friday ordered the evacuation of more than 3,000 children and their parents from 44 frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine's restoration minister, revealed that over 150,000 people have been evacuated from frontline areas since 1 June alone.
The convergence of Russia's largest annual territorial gains since the invasion's outset, high-level diplomatic manoeuvres in Kyiv, and a major reshuffle of Ukraine's wartime command underscores the critical and intensifying phase of the conflict as it approaches its fourth year.
