Fighting in Ukraine has continued relentlessly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. Over the past year, Russian forces have steadily expanded their control, particularly in the country’s east.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has pushed for an end to the war, with ongoing negotiations involving Moscow. However, Russian attacks have not stopped. On 13 April, a missile strike on the northern city of Sumy killed more than 30 people, and Ukraine believes Russia is preparing for a major spring offensive.
Here’s an overview of the latest developments and the current situation on the ground.
Russia Pushes Forward in Eastern Ukraine
Moscow’s forces continue their slow advance through the Donbas region, using their superior numbers to overwhelm Ukrainian towns and villages mile by mile.
Despite the pressure, Ukraine claims to have retaken a village in the Luhansk region—the first successful counter-offensive in the east in months.
Russian Manpower Surges
Ukraine’s military intelligence estimates that about 620,000 Russian troops are operating in Ukraine and across the border in the Kursk region, with thousands more entering since the start of the year. Ukrainian commanders report a 30% rise in front-line assaults in the past week, viewing it as part of Russia’s spring campaign.
Advance Toward Pokrovsk
Russian forces have made a notable push toward Pokrovsk, northwest of Donetsk, closing in on a Ukrainian-held pocket near Toretsk. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this marks the most significant change in months. However, Ukrainian forces, using a combination of drones and ground tactics, have inflicted heavy losses and slowed the advance.
It took nearly a year for Russia to gain just 40km (25 miles), culminating in Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka, north of Donetsk, in February 2024.
Russian Incursion Near Kharkiv
In May 2024, Russia opened a secondary offensive by crossing the border north of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Several villages were taken, forcing thousands of civilians to flee.
This offensive occurred during a four-month pause in US military aid caused by congressional deadlock, which was resolved in April 2024.
Despite repeated glide bomb attacks by Russian aircraft, Kharkiv remains outside artillery range and under Ukrainian control.
Ukraine Floats Territory Swap in Peace Deal
Eastern Ukraine has been a contested region since 2014 when Russian-backed militants took over parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. Earlier that year, Russia annexed Crimea after seizing control of the peninsula.
President Trump has stated it’s unlikely Ukraine will return to its pre-2014 borders, but told the BBC that “some of that land will come back.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a February interview with The Guardian, floated the idea of a territory exchange: land held by Russia in Ukraine swapped for parts of Russia’s Kursk region seized by Ukraine in a surprise August offensive.
Ukrainian troops advanced 30km (18 miles) into Russia and claimed control of over 1,200 sq km and 93 villages. But by 13 March 2025, President Vladimir Putin said Russia had “fully” regained control, and that Ukrainian equipment had been “abandoned.”
Fighting continues as Russia tries to expel Ukrainian troops from remaining pockets in Kursk. Ukraine describes the battle as intense, comparing the experience to a “horror movie.”
Russia has seized the town of Sudzha and cut off the vital Sudzha-Sumy highway, a key supply route for Ukrainian forces.
Ceasefire Talks Underway
The United States, Ukraine’s primary military ally, has shifted its focus to diplomacy since Trump entered office. Following a meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Putin on 11 April, Witkoff said they “might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large.”
In response, Zelensky invited Trump to visit Ukraine before any agreement is signed, though the two leaders have had a tense relationship. In February, they clashed at the White House, with Trump accusing Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” and criticizing him for delaying peace talks.
Despite that tension, Trump has worked to improve ties with Moscow, though he expressed frustration at the end of March, saying he was “very angry” with Putin after failed ceasefire negotiations.
Three Years of War: A Shifting Landscape
Russia’s full-scale invasion began before dawn on 24 February 2022 with missile strikes across Ukraine. Ground forces quickly moved in, taking large swathes of territory and reaching Kyiv’s outskirts.
Russia also seized land in the east and south, bombarded Kharkiv, and surrounded the city of Mariupol.
However, Ukrainian resistance was swift and determined. Russian troops faced logistical chaos, supply shortages, and poor morale. Western-supplied weapons—like the highly effective NLAW anti-tank systems—helped Ukraine halt the advance.
By October 2022, the tide had turned. Russia was forced to retreat from northern Ukraine, failing to take Kyiv. In November, Ukraine liberated Kherson in the south.
Since then, the war has concentrated in the eastern regions, where Russia has made slow gains. The UK Ministry of Defence estimates that more than 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with total Russian casualties—killed or wounded—possibly as high as 500,000.
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