Russian troops captured almost twice as much Ukrainian territory in January as in the previous month, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which works with the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.
Russia seized 481 square kilometres in January, according to the data, compared with 244 square kilometres in December 2025 – one of the largest gains during a winter month since Russia’s invasion began four years ago.
At the same time, Russia launched fewer drones and missiles at Ukraine last month, according to an analysis of data from the Kyiv air force published on Monday by AFP, yet still paralysed Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and pushed the country into a humanitarian crisis.
The most severe power, heating and water outages during the nearly four-year war occurred in January, as the Kremlin struck Ukraine with 4,452 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles – a 13% decrease from December – and 135 missiles, a 23% drop compared with the previous month.
Source: AFP, CNA