Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed reports that the advance of Russian troops on the front against Ukraine has slowed down. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
During a meeting with the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff leadership, the Kremlin leader announced that since the beginning of 2025, 4,900 square kilometers of territory and 212 settlements have been brought under control. These figures confirm the reduced pace of the Russian army's movements.
Ukrainian analysts, studying recent territorial changes through the Deep State OSINT project, assessed them as a very small portion of the territory captured during the war. According to the project data, from November 2022 to August 2025, Russian troops have captured a total of 5,842 square kilometers, which is approximately 0.97 percent of Ukraine's territory.
The 4,900 square kilometers mentioned by Putin is considerably smaller than the area of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the end of August 2025, the Ukrainian army controlled about 30 percent of Donetsk region, approximately 8,000 square kilometers.
This indicates that the territory for which the Kremlin demands a "return without fighting" is even larger than the Russian army's latest gain. In conclusion, it can be said that the Kremlin acknowledges the situation on the front with figures, while Kyiv does not consider these numbers as a significant change in the main direction of the war.
Territorial demands are being used as a tool of political pressure in negotiations. As talks continue, it is clear that both sides' figures and statements are aimed at protecting their own interests.
