Over the past three years, Russia has seized only 1.45% of Ukraine’s territory, while its personnel losses far exceed any claimed gains. Preliminary estimates indicate that up to 1% of Russia’s prewar male population of fighting age may have been lost, reports The Economist.
Based on open-source data, information from sources, and official reports, The Economist estimates Russia’s battlefield losses since February 24, 2022, at between 1 million and 1.35 million personnel. This is higher than the total number of American soldiers killed or wounded in the Second World War.
"Perhaps 1% of Russia’s pre-war male population of fighting age has died in Ukraine. Acc…
Over the past three years, Russia has seized only 1.45% of Ukraine’s territory, while its personnel losses far exceed any claimed gains. Preliminary estimates indicate that up to 1% of Russia’s prewar male population of fighting age may have been lost, reports The Economist.
Based on open-source data, information from sources, and official reports, The Economist estimates Russia’s battlefield losses since February 24, 2022, at between 1 million and 1.35 million personnel. This is higher than the total number of American soldiers killed or wounded in the Second World War.
"Perhaps 1% of Russia’s pre-war male population of fighting age has died in Ukraine. According to Marco Rubio, America’s Secretary of State, 100,000 Russian troops died in the first half of 2025," The Economist states.
In 2025, Russian forces captured 4,562 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, compared with 3,734 square kilometers in 2024. In November 2025, Russia recorded its biggest gains of the year, occupying 690 square kilometers.
However, despite a slight acceleration in 2025 due to Ukraine’s multiple challenges, overall Russian progress remains very slow. Over the past three years, Russia has gained only an additional 1.45% of Ukrainian land.
"No large city has changed hands. Russia has fought to fully capture Pokrovsk — which, with a population of 61,000, was only Ukraine’s 73rd-largest city before the war — for 14 months. Even now, the ISW says that it has not fallen completely," The Economist notes.
If Russia aims to gain full control over Ukraine’s four eastern regions — Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk — it still needs to capture 20,345 square kilometers. Even at the recent rate, Russia would achieve this only until May 2028, with casualties reaching staggering numbers.
Most combat in Ukraine is currently occurring in urban areas. This does not produce large territorial gains for Russia but could lead to significant strategic wins in the future.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine, between February 24, 2022, and December 7, 2025, estimated Russian military losses totaled about 1,180,870 personnel. In the last 24 hours alone, 1,080 Russian forces were neutralized.