The Russian army captured 430 sq km of Ukrainian territory in January this year and is advancing towards the important logistics center of Pokrovsk, reports Agence France-Presse, citing an analysis based on data from the American Institute for the Study of War, BTA reports.
The agency notes that in January there was a certain slowdown in the pace of the Russian offensive compared to previous months. In December, Russian forces captured 476 sq km, and in November - a record 725 sq km.
More than 80% of the progress in January was in the Donetsk region, where Russian troops are trying to capture the key city of Pokrovsk. Moscow's forces are only about two kilometers from this important logistical hub, approaching from both the south and the east.
In addition, the Russian army has advanced by about 50 square kilometers on the northeastern front near the city of Kupyansk.
In August last year, Ukrainian forces launched a major offensive in Russia's Kursk region, capturing nearly 1,300 square kilometers in two weeks. However, in January, the territory controlled by Kiev in the Kursk region began to shrink. On December 31, it was 483 square kilometers, and at the end of January it had decreased to 442 square kilometers, according to Agence France-Presse.
The data for these calculations are based on daily reports from the Institute for the Study of War, which collects information from both sides in the conflict and analyzes satellite images.