Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The war has lasted for nearly four years now.
2025 has turned to 2026, and the war in Ukraine still rages on with the four-year-mark of the Russian invasion approaching quickly (February 24).
A lot have been written about the war during the past year, especially when the news about a U.S.-written 28-point peace plan broke.
That plan was since countered with a new plan from Ukraine and it’s European allies, and the hopes for a peaceful ending to the bloodshed regnited – but the diplomatic efforts seems to have hit a dead end, as Russia and Ukraine are lightyears apart on key issues, including territorial concessions.
Meanwhile, troops on the ground continues to clash with especially the East of Ukraine seeing heavy fighting in 2025.
And it has been a year of intense fighting, as a front-line overview from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence shows.
61,000+ engagements and nearly two million shellings
According to the overview, released on January 5 2026, 2025 saw a total of 61,605 combat engagements during the year.
The most intense day was November 28th with 311 engagements between Russia and Ukraine being recorded.
Additionally, according to the overview, the Russian army conducted more than 1,887,000 shellings over the course of the 12 months of 2025 – that averages over 5,100 per day.
It is unclear if shellings are referring to the number of shell barrages launched or the individual number of shells being fired.
How much ground has Russia gained?
2025 was a rough year for the Ukrainian defenders, with Russia advancing on several parts along the frontline.
According to DeepState, an open-source interactive map, Russia captured more than 4,300 square kilometers (1660 square miles) of Ukrainian territory during the year. The number accounts for 0.72% of Ukraine’s total territory.
Sources: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, DeepState, Reuters, AP, Axios
