the Russian army took 725 km² in November, unheard of since the start of the invasion – Libération

Kremlin forces gained more ground last month than in October (610 km²), which already marked an unprecedented advance in more than two and a half years, particularly in eastern Ukraine near the city from Pokrovsk.

Unheard of in more than two years and the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian army advanced over 725 km² into Ukrainian territory during the month of November, according to an AFP analysis published this Monday, December 2 using data from the American Institute for the Study of War ( ISW). This is the largest territorial gain in a month since March 2022 and the first weeks of the war.

Over the entire month of November, Russian forces gained more ground than in October (610 km²), which already marked an unprecedented advance for more than two and a half years, particularly in the east. of Ukraine, near the town of Pokrovsk.

The Donetsk region, in which this important rail and road junction is located, alone concentrates almost 90% of Russian advances in November (629 km²). The Ukrainian army now controls less than a third, compared to more than 40% on January 1, 2024.

Gains six times greater in 2024 than in 2023

Moscow's forces have claimed numerous towns south and east of Pokrovsk in recent weeks, and have come within 5 kilometers of it. The advance of Kremlin troops has accelerated since the end of spring. Including the month of November, they increased over more than 3,500 km² in 2024, six times more than for the whole of 2023.

The last time Russia made greater gains in Ukrainian territory in such a short time was in March 2022 (45,426 km²), when their operations extended in the north of the country to the gates of Kyiv, in a phase of the conflict where the front line was much more mobile.

Since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, Russia had taken 68,050 km² of Ukrainian territory as of November 30. With Crimea, annexed in 2014, and the Donbass territories controlled by separatists before the Russian offensive, Moscow currently controls 18.4% of the territory of Ukraine before 2014.