Putin admitted that the offensive has slowed down: what do the figures say?

Russian President Vladimir Putin practically confirmed reports of a slowdown in the advance of Russian troops on the anti-Ukrainian front. At a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff, the Kremlin leader announced that "almost 5 thousand square kilometers" - more precisely, 4,900 km2 of territory and 212 settlements - have been under control since the beginning of 2025. This statement further strengthened the speculation that the Russian army's pace of movement had slowed down.

At the same time, the Ukrainian analysts' Deep State OSINT project, noting regional changes in recent months, assessed them as "minimal" to the overall picture during the war. According to project estimates, from November 12, 2022, to August 17, 2025, Russian troops additionally occupied a total area of 5,842 km2 - which corresponds to approximately 0.97% of the territory of Ukraine.

Although the 4,900 km2 mentioned by Putin appears significant in numbers, if we compare it, it is several times smaller than the areas of Donetsk (26,517 km2) and Luhansk (27,183 km2) regions. Moreover, according to media reports, in August the Kremlin set the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Kyiv, from the controlled territory of Donbas, as a condition for peace negotiations.

In the Donetsk region alone, at the end of August 2025, the Ukrainian army held approximately 30% of the territory - almost 8,000 km2. So, it's clear that even in this region alone, the area Moscow demands for "return without a fight" is greater than the Russian army's achievements since the beginning of the year Putin listed.

In conclusion: the Kremlin recognizes the real situation at the front through figures, and the Kyiv side does not see these figures as a major turning point in the overall trajectory of the war. Conditional "large territorial demands" are manifested on the negotiating stage as a means of political pressure. While negotiations are expected to continue, it is not difficult to understand that the figures and rhetoric of both sides are aimed at not losing.