Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Valdai Discussion Club annual international conference in Sochi, Russia, October 2, 2025. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russian forces had captured almost 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) of land in Ukraine in 2025 and that Moscow retained complete strategic initiative on the battlefield.
Russia's 2025 gains would amount to nearly 1% of Ukraine's land area, and the country controls nearly 20% in total.
