Russia is not winning the war against Ukraine, and the campaign itself has become a complete failure for Moscow. Over the past year, Russian forces lost nearly half a million soldiers to seize less than 1% of the territory.
As reported by "Hvylya", Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated this on the social network X.
The head of the diplomatic service cited statistics highlighting the disparity between Russia's losses and its gains. In 2025, Russia suffered 480,000 killed and wounded to occupy an additional 0.7% of Ukrainian territory.
The situation for the aggressor deteriorated in early 2026. Despite casualties exceeding 1,000 soldiers per day, Russia managed to seize just 0.04% of territory in January—the lowest rate of advance in the last nine months.
"Over the previous 25 months, from January 2024 to January 2026, Russia occupied an additional 21% of the Donetsk region, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. However, this is less than the area of the Donetsk region that Ukraine still controls," Sybiha emphasized.
Frontline setbacks are compounded by economic collapse. The Russian economy has entered a deep recession: regional budget deficits hit a record $21 billion, an eightfold increase compared to 2023. Production is falling in 12 key sectors, business closures have risen by 15%, and another 10% are on the brink of bankruptcy.
According to the minister, flawed planning will result in the loss of at least another $25 billion in oil revenues this year. Meanwhile, Ukraine is intensifying strikes on military targets in the enemy's rear: 719 such attacks were carried out in 2025, causing $15 billion in damage.
"The war is returning to where it began—to Russia. And this is just," the Foreign Minister summarized.
He added that the sooner Putin loses his illusions regarding a military victory, the sooner peace efforts will succeed.
Previously, Politico assessed whether Putin is ready for real peace.