Today's AFP analysis based on data from the American Institute for the Study of War, indicates that in July Russia established control over nearly 200 square km in eastern Ukraine, mainly in the Donetsk region, increasing its territorial gains compared to the previous month, BTA reported.
However, this progress is still half that of May (449 sq km, 14.5 sq km per day), at the start of the new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, which has since been halted. At the time, it was the biggest advance in a month since March 2022, when the Russian offensive in Ukraine was still in its infancy.
In total, since the beginning of 2024, Russia has conquered 1,246 sq km, significantly more than in all of 2023 (584 sq km). However, this progress remains relatively small, amounting to 0.2 percent of Ukrainian territory in 2014, and has not led to decisive breakthroughs despite heavy losses, AFP points out.
In particular, between July 1 and 30, Moscow captured 198 sq km (an average of 6.6 sq km per day), of which only 155 sq km is in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian forces are advancing on the cities Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Chasov Yar, so that they can then attack the cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
Russian territorial gains in the last month have increased compared to June (129 sq km, 4.3 sq km per day).
From February 24, 2022 to July 30 this year, Russia has seized 65,776 square km of Ukrainian territory. With the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and areas to the east that were already under Russian control before the start of the invasion, Russia controls 107,956 sq km or 18 percent of Ukraine's territory according to its internationally recognized borders, AFP notes.
The AFP calculations are based on summaries provided daily by the Institute for the Study of War, which are based on public information released by both sides and analysis of satellite imagery.