Only four cities throughout the year: analysts revealed what Russia has achieved in 2024.

In 2024, Russian forces captured 4,168 square kilometers, primarily consisting of fields and small settlements in Ukraine and the Kursk region. This is stated in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts from the Institute noted that the Russian military command mainly prioritized efforts to seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region and create a buffer zone in the northern part of the Kharkiv region in 2024, but failed to achieve these objectives.

The Institute emphasized that according to estimates from Western and Ukrainian sources, Russia intended to capture all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of 2024. However, the slow advance of Russian troops in early to mid-2024 forced the Russian military command to reassess its plans and set the primary offensive goal for the year as the capture of Pokrovsk.

ISW reminded that throughout 2024, Russian forces seized four medium-sized settlements — Avdiivka, Selydivo, Uledar, and Kurakhovo. The largest of these had a pre-war population of over 31,000 people. However, by December, the successes of the Russians slowed down.

"Russian troops will need just over two years to capture the rest of the Donetsk region at the pace of advancement observed in 2024. And that’s possible only if we assume that all Russian offensives will be limited to the Donetsk region and that they can capture larger urban areas as easily as they have small villages and fields," the ISW report states.

Analysts noted that to realize such plans, the Armed Forces of Ukraine still need to stop the Russian troops from advancing in their priority sectors. Therefore, Western assistance remains critically important for Ukraine's ability to stabilize the front line in 2025.

It should be noted that on December 31, military expert Vladislav Seleznev stated that the Russian Armed Forces may strike during the New Year holidays.