On February 24, 2022, after months of tension between Moscow and kyiv, the Russian army crossed the border from its Ukrainian neighbor to the south, east and north. After a failed offensive on the capital, Russian troops withdrew from the north of the country in early April to focus on its offensive in southern and eastern Ukraine.
At the same time, Moscow changed its war aims, no longer talking so much about “regime change in Kyiv” that of “liberation” of the whole of Donbass – where there are two self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics.
In September, the Armed Forces of Ukraine took over 6,000 km2 in Kharkiv Oblast, in the east of the country. Taking advantage of a weakness in the Russian defensive system, kyiv even managed to rout several units, which had to leave equipment behind without even having time to destroy it.
Finally, in early November, the Russians withdrew from the right bank of the Dnieper, where the only regional capital they had conquered, Kherson, which Ukrainian forces entered on 11 November, is located.
Of the observers of the conflict estimate that Russia controlled 25% of Ukrainian territory in March, compared to about 15% currently.