**Ukraine Continues to Defend Itself Against Russian Invasion**
Three years have passed since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Despite initial advances by Russian forces, the country has been unable to capture key cities or gain significant territory.
In fact, Russia currently occupies less land in Ukraine than it did at the height of its advance in March 2022. According to Ukrainian data journalism website Texty, the peak of Russian-occupied territory was around 28% of Ukraine’s total land mass. Today, that number has dropped to just over 18%.
**Slow and Costly Advances**
Russian forces have made some gains in eastern Ukraine, but these advances have come at a high cost. The country has lost hundreds of thousands of troops since the start of the invasion, with estimates suggesting around 165,000 have been killed.
Ukraine’s military, on the other hand, has shown remarkable resilience and determination. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in battle, with hundreds of thousands more injured.
**Stalemate**
The conflict has settled into a stalemate, with both sides trading territory but making little progress. Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast last year was an exception, and the country is still holding the line against Russian forces.
It would take Russia over 83 years to capture the rest of Ukraine at its current rate of advance, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
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