Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago ignited the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, causing immense suffering to civilians and posing a brutal test for soldiers, while also shaking the post-Cold War global security order.
The fighting enters its fifth year on Tuesday, 24 Feb 2026 GMT+7, with no sign of the situation ending anytime soon.
The United States has acted as a mediator between representatives from Moscow and Kyiv as part of former President Trump's peace efforts. However, attempts to reconcile key issues—such as the future of territories occupied by Russia and Ukraine's postwar security—remain obstacles that have stalled negotiations.
Thousands upon tens of thousands of soldiers from both countries have died on the battlefield, while Ukrainian civilians endure heavy Russian airstrikes causing prolonged power outages and water shortages lasting years. Meanwhile, Ukraine has employed drones to strike deep into Russian territory.
Below is a summary of the conflict through various statistics since the full-scale invasion began on 24 Feb 2022.
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published last January estimated that the maximum combined number of Ukrainian and Russian military dead, wounded, or missing is 1.8 million.
The report estimates Russia's military casualties at 1.2 million, including as many as 325,000 deaths from February 2022 through December 2025. This represents the highest military death toll for a major power in any conflict since World War II.
Russia has not released battlefield death figures since January 2023, when Moscow reported over 80 soldier deaths from Ukrainian attacks, officially confirming only about 6,000 military deaths in total.
At the same time, CSIS estimates Ukrainian military casualties between 500,000 and 600,000, including up to 140,000 deaths.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in this war, with many more missing.
The United Nations human rights observers reported that since Russia's full-scale invasion, at least 14,999 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in attacks. However, the agency believes the actual number is much higher. Additionally, a December report noted more than 40,600 civilians injured during the same period.
UN data indicates at least 763 children have died in the conflict.
Last year was the worst for Ukrainian civilians since 2022, with 2,514 civilian deaths and 12,142 injuries in 2025—an increase of 31% compared to 2024.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia currently controls approximately 19.4% of Ukrainian territory.
The Washington-based ISW noted in an early-month analysis that over the past year, Russia gained only 0.79% more Ukrainian territory amid a “war of attrition” aimed at resource destruction, reflecting minimal progress despite heavy losses of personnel and armored vehicles.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, it controlled nearly 7% of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east, following separatist uprisings supported by Russia since 2014.
Data from Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks aid to Ukraine, shows foreign military assistance dropped 13% in 2025 compared to the average annual aid from 2022 to 2024.
After taking office a year ago, US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to US-funded arms shipments to Ukraine, while European countries increased military aid by 67% last year compared to 2022-2024 to fill the gap.
Nonetheless, overall military aid to Ukraine still decreased. The report also noted a 5% decline in humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine last year compared to the three-year average before that.
United Nations data from Ukraine this month indicates about 5.9 million Ukrainians have fled abroad due to the war, with approximately 5.3 million seeking refuge in Europe.
Additionally, the UN reported in December that around 3.7 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, forced to leave their homes and relocate to safer areas within the country.
Before the war, Ukraine's total population exceeded 40 million.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from the start of the full-scale invasion until 11 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Russia has conducted 2,851 attacks affecting medical services in Ukraine.
These attacks include 2,347 on healthcare facilities, as well as strikes damaging vehicles and medical supply storage.
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Source:apnews