Its basically a stalemate now.
Within the first month of the 2022 full-scale invasion, Russian forces occupied roughly 22% to 24.5% of Ukraine's total territory, rapidly advancing toward Kyiv and pushing into the eastern and southern regions. [
1,
2]
This peak occupation represented the high-water mark of Russia's advance in: [
1]
- Pre-invasion: Russia already controlled about 7% of Ukraine, encompassing Crimea and parts of the Donbas seized in 2014.
- March 2022 Peak: By the end of the first month, this figure surged to a peak of nearly 24.5% of Ukrainian land.
- Subsequent Retreat: Following successful Ukrainian counteroffensives in the north and south, the occupied territory stabilized.
Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, which amounts to roughly 120,000 square kilometers (about 46,000 square miles). This figure includes Crimea, which was annexed in 2014, as well as areas in the eastern and southern regions seized since the full-scale invasion. [
1,
2,
3]
A breakdown of the territorial situation reveals the following key details:
- Regional Occupation: The heaviest occupation remains in the eastern Donbas (Luhansk and Donetsk) and southern regions (Zaporizhzhia and Kherson). Russia currently controls about 88% of the Donbas, almost all of Luhansk, and approximately three-quarters of both Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. [1, 2]
- Recent Progress: Despite intense fighting and major assault operations, the front line has largely stabilized. Russia captured less than 1% of Ukraine’s total territory throughout 2025, and recent figures indicate a net stagnation—or minor marginal setbacks—in their overall territorial gains. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
- Historical Peak: At the height of the initial invasion in March 2022, Russian forces occupied roughly 24% of Ukraine before Ukrainian counter-offensives pushed them back to the current roughly 20% mark. [1]