The Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s invasion on 24 February 2022, enters its fifth year today.
After four years of fierce fighting, devastation and stalled diplomacy, the bloodiest conflict on European soil since the Second World War shows no clear end in sight.
Human losses mount
The human toll of the Ukraine war remains difficult to verify after years of combat and deadly bombardments.
According to the latest UN count in 2025, around 15,000 civilians have been killed and 40,600 injured on Ukrainian territory. The real number is likely significantly higher, as observers struggle to access occupied areas.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian border regions have also killed hundreds, according to estimates.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in early February that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since 2022. Analysts believe the true figure is higher, particularly given tens of thousands listed as missing.
Russia has not published official figures on its military losses. However, the Russian service of the BBC and independent outlet Mediazona estimate more than 177,000 Russian soldiers have died, based on open-source data.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates 325,000 Russian troops and between 100,000 and 140,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed since the invasion.
The UN says around six million Ukrainians remain refugees abroad.
Widespread destruction
The Ukraine war has flattened vast areas, especially in the east. Entire cities such as Bakhmut, Toretsk and Vovchansk lie in ruins.
Russian strikes on energy infrastructure severely damaged Ukraine’s power grid, leaving millions without heating and electricity at various points during the conflict.
The United Nations estimates that about 20% of Ukrainian territory is contaminated by landmines.
A joint assessment by the Ukrainian government, the EU, the World Bank and the UN places reconstruction costs at more than €500 billion over the next decade.
Frontline stalemate
After advances and retreats by both sides in 2022 and 2023, the conflict has evolved into a grinding war of attrition.
Russia controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, although about one third of that area was already under Russian or pro-Russian control before 2022.
Fighting now centres on the Donbas industrial basin in eastern Ukraine. According to an analysis by Agence France-Presse based on data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces hold nearly all of Luhansk region and around 83% of Donetsk region.
Russian troops also control large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, as well as smaller areas in Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Diplomacy in slow motion
Despite ongoing fighting, Russian and Ukrainian officials have engaged in ceasefire discussions since 2025 under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Several rounds of talks in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi and Geneva have failed to produce tangible results.
Territory remains the main obstacle. Moscow demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from areas of Donetsk that they still control – a condition Kyiv rejects.
Ukraine insists on an immediate ceasefire, while Moscow refuses to halt hostilities without first securing the foundations of what it calls a “sustainable” peace agreement.
Economy and sanctions
Russia’s economy has shown resilience under Western sanctions by redirecting imports and hydrocarbon exports to alternative markets. The defence industry has benefited from large-scale military orders.
However, signs of strain are emerging, driven by persistent labour shortages, high inflation, a widening budget deficit and falling oil revenues.
Ukraine has lost roughly one third of its GDP since 2022. It faces destroyed infrastructure, export disruptions and the loss of a significant share of its workforce through displacement or military mobilisation.
Although Ukraine’s economy has shown some recovery recently, it depends heavily on Western financial support to fund defence and day-to-day state operations.
Allies and military support
Since early 2022, Kyiv’s war effort has relied heavily on weapons deliveries, ammunition and intelligence from its allies.
Europe has become the main provider of assistance, with €201 billion already allocated and a further €178 billion pledged, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.
Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the United States – which had provided $115 billion in aid since 2022 – effectively suspended further assistance without concessions from Kyiv.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Ukraine has received around 900 tanks, 1,200 armoured vehicles, 850 artillery systems, 85 air defence systems and combat aircraft, along with ammunition.
North Korea has supplied ammunition to Russia and deployed thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces on Russian territory.
Western officials say Moscow has also received drones and missiles from Iran and relies on Iranian technology for drone production. They further accuse China of helping Russia circumvent sanctions.
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