The conflict in Ukraine continues into its fifth year with devastating human costs, including over 2 million military casualties combined and thousands of civilian deaths. Despite ongoing peace talks brokered by the U.S., key disagreements over occupied territories and Ukraine's future security remain unresolved.
The war in Ukraine marks its fifth year this Tuesday, representing the largest European military conflict since World War II and causing devastating losses for both military personnel and civilians while fundamentally altering Europe’s security landscape.
As the conflict continues with no clear end in sight, the Trump administration has facilitated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives over the past year in pursuit of peace. However, major obstacles remain, including disputes over territories currently under Russian control and ensuring Ukraine’s security in any post-conflict arrangement.
Combat operations have claimed the lives of thousands of soldiers from both nations, while Ukrainian civilians continue to endure Russian airstrikes that have resulted in prolonged electrical blackouts and water service disruptions.
According to recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, total military casualties on both sides may reach as high as 2 million soldiers killed, wounded, or reported missing since the February 24, 2022 invasion began.
The research organization calculated that Russian forces have sustained approximately 1.2 million casualties, with troop fatalities potentially reaching 325,000 between February 2022 and December 2025. This would represent the highest military death toll for any major nation in any conflict since World War II.
Moscow has not provided updated casualty figures since January 2023, when officials reported over 80 soldiers killed in a Ukrainian attack, bringing Russia’s acknowledged military deaths to slightly more than 6,000 total.
The same analysis suggests Ukraine has experienced between 500,000 and 600,000 military casualties, with fatalities potentially reaching 140,000.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian service members have perished in the fighting, noting that many others remain unaccounted for.
Both governments rarely provide current information about military losses, making independent confirmation impossible.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission has documented civilian deaths in Ukraine since the large-scale invasion began, though officials acknowledge this figure likely represents an undercount. Their December report also recorded more than 40,600 civilian injuries during the same timeframe.
At least 763 children have died as a result of the war, according to U.N. data.
Civilian casualties reached their highest levels since 2022 during the past year. The fighting resulted in 2,514 civilian deaths and 12,142 injuries throughout Ukraine in 2025, marking a 31% rise in civilian casualties compared to the previous year.
Russian forces currently occupy approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, based on calculations from the Institute for the Study of War.
During the most recent year of fighting, Russia has captured just 0.79% additional Ukrainian land in what has become a grueling war of attrition, according to the Washington-based research group’s analysis shared with The Associated Press earlier this month. This minimal territorial gain highlights the limited advancement Moscow’s military has achieved despite enormous losses in personnel and equipment.
Prior to the full-scale invasion, Russian control extended over nearly 7% of Ukraine, encompassing Crimea and portions of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Moscow-supported separatists had been battling Ukrainian forces, according to Ukrainian government sources and Western intelligence assessments.
International military assistance to Ukraine decreased significantly last year, falling by the percentage indicated compared to the annual average from 2022 through 2024, according to tracking data from Germany’s Kiel Institute.
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration just over a year ago, the United States ceased shipments of American-funded weapons to Ukraine. European nations have attempted to compensate for this reduction, boosting their military aid by 67% last year compared to the 2022-2024 timeframe, the institute reported this month.
International humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine declined by 5% last year when measured against the average provided during the previous three-year period.
The conflict has displaced millions of Ukrainian civilians, with many seeking safety in other countries.
European nations have provided sanctuary to approximately 5.3 million of these displaced individuals, according to a recent United Nations office report from Ukraine.
An additional 3.7 million Ukrainians have been forced to relocate within their own country’s borders, the U.N. reported in December.
Ukraine’s population before the war exceeded 40 million people.
Russian military actions have disrupted medical services in Ukraine through numerous attacks, according to World Health Organization documentation covering the period from the invasion’s start through February 11.
These incidents include 2,347 direct strikes on healthcare facilities, along with attacks that damaged medical transport vehicles and supply storage locations.