Thousands of lives are being lost daily for no good reason
More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the front lines have barely moved, but the human and military toll has been staggering.
At the start of 2025, Russia controls roughly 18 percent of Ukraine’s territory. Most of that is concentrated in the country’s east and southeast, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia has illegally occupied since 2014.
This map of control has changed little since then. After Russia’s initial invasion in February 2022, its troops made quick gains, advancing toward major cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv. But that momentum collapsed within months. Russia suffered from overstretched supply lines, poor logistics, and fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces armed with Western weaponry. By October 2022, it had withdrawn from northern Ukraine after failing to take Kyiv.
Since then, the pace of Russia’s offensive has slowed to a crawl. Experts have called it one of the slowest modern military campaigns in history. In 2024, Russia captured roughly 1,500 additional square miles, just about 1 percent of Ukraine’s total landmass. The Ukrainian military has also managed to reclaim territory, and even captured territory in Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. Most of the current fighting is now focused in eastern Ukraine.
The human cost of this grinding war has been devastating. Independent analysts estimate that Russia has lost 172,000 soldiers and sustained more than 611,000 wounded. Ukraine’s losses are harder to pin down, but are believed to total around 400,000 dead and wounded. Both sides keep official figures close, but the scale of death is indisputable. A booming funeral industry and surging demand for prosthetics tell their own story in Russia.
The scale of military hardware losses is just as staggering. Russia has lost more than 14,000 tanks and armored vehicles, 384 military aircraft, and over half its Black Sea naval fleet, which at the beginning of the war counted more than 80 ships. Ukrainian drone strikes and asymmetric naval tactics have crippled what was once a key pillar of Russia’s military might. Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, a coordinated drone strike deep into Russian territory, inflicted heavy damage on four airbases and exposed major gaps in Russia’s defenses. Russian commanders have also struggled with self-inflicted losses, with over 20 percent of aircraft losses caused by friendly fire, pilot error, or equipment failure.
Ukraine, for its part, has lost 950 tanks and nearly 1,500 armored personnel carriers. Operating with a fraction of the resources, their air force has lost over 100 fighters and 50 helicopters. The recent addition of F-16s has not shifted the balance significantly, and at least three jets have already been lost.
For all the effort and loss, Russia still controls less than a fifth of Ukraine. The front lines have hardened, and hundreds of thousands have paid the price.
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Sam Zickar
Sam Zickar is Senior Writer at No Labels. He earned a degree in Modern History and International Relations from the University of St Andrews and previously worked in various writing and communications roles in Congress. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area and enjoys exercise and spending time in nature.
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