Russia’s army is advancing in Ukraine slower than any major force in the past century, according to a new analysis of the war reported by The Telegraph.
The findings undercut Moscow’s claims of battlefield momentum as it seeks leverage in talks with the United States and its allies. Russian officials have argued that Ukraine’s defeat is inevitable and that Kyiv should accept territorial concessions.
15 meters a day: slower than WWI
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that since early 2024, Russian forces have advanced between 15 and 70 metres per day on average, marking an exceptionally slow rate for a sustained military offensive.
The slow pace is most evident in eastern Ukraine. Around Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, where Russia launched an offensive in February 2024, troops have advanced at roughly 15 metres per day, gaining about 10 kilometres over nearly two years, without capturing the city.
Near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces have moved forward at around 23 meters per day since late 2024. Moscow claimed to have taken the city in December, but Ukrainian authorities denied this, later showing Ukrainian troops operating inside the city.
For comparison, the CSIS report notes that several First World War battles saw faster daily advances than Russia’s current operations in Ukraine.
Enormous cost for minimal gains
CSIS estimates Russia captured about 0.6% of Ukrainian territory in 2024 and 0.8% in 2025, despite sustaining extremely heavy losses. Western intelligence assesses total Russian casualties since the full-scale invasion at more than one million.
The report concludes that Russia is paying a high price for minimal gains, falling short of its stated goal of conquering Ukraine, even as the Kremlin presses for negotiations to lock in its current territorial claims.
