Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian forces have seized approximately 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025, asserting that Moscow holds complete strategic control in the ongoing war. Speaking on his 73rd birthday at a military meeting near St. Petersburg, Putin said Russian troops have “liberated” 4,900 square kilometers and captured 212 settlements this year, marking what he described as significant progress in Russia’s “special military operation.”
Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces are retreating “along the entire line of combat,” despite intense resistance. He dismissed Ukraine’s recent long-range strikes on Russian territory, saying they have not changed the strategic situation after more than three and a half years of conflict. Russia’s 2025 territorial gains amount to nearly 1% of Ukraine’s total land area, with Moscow now controlling around 20% of the country.
Russian Army General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, echoed Putin’s statements, asserting that Russian troops are advancing “in practically all directions.” He identified the heaviest battles as taking place near Pokrovsk and toward Dnipropetrovsk, with operations also intensifying in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Gerasimov said Russian forces are pushing forward in Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine and establishing buffer zones in Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
In contrast, Ukrainian officials have described Russia’s advances as overstated, claiming Kyiv’s forces have regained ground near Dobropillia and in parts of the Sumy region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently reported localized successes despite ongoing pressure along the 1,250-kilometer front.
Putin reaffirmed that Russia’s goals remain unchanged—to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine—reiterating his justification for the 2022 invasion.