Ukraine Map Shows Territory Liberated From Russia Since War Began

Kyiv has touted Western military support for helping its forces liberate half of its Russian-occupied territory, as the latest map by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows Ukrainian progress since the start of Vladimir Putin's invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov told Fox News that Ukraine had "de-occupied 50 percent of our territory" and were "defeating Russia on our land."

He also defended the effectiveness of his country's counteroffensive whose slow progress had caused concern in Western capitals, saying that critics should visit the combat zone to see for themselves.

"We've successfully breached the initial two defense lines and currently find ourselves positioned between the second and third lines," he told the network on Tuesday.

"All our calculations for the next year—purchases, acquisitions, planning, operations—will be carried out according to NATO standards," he said noting that accession to the alliance remained a priority. "We will speak a common language."

Ukraine's strategic goal is to liberate its entire territory within internationally recognized borders from 1991 and Umerov called on the U.S. to continue its support for Ukraine, because "we are 100 percent sure that together with the USA we are protecting the national interests of both our countries."

In November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces have planned several paths of future advance in 2024 to liberate more of the occupied territories.

The ISW, a Washington, D.C., think tank, said on Wednesday that Kyiv must liberate "strategically vital areas still under Russian occupation to ensure Ukraine's long-term security and economic viability."

One of the maps it released in its latest update showed that since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian forces had liberated 74,661 square kilometers (28,800 square miles) of territory, although as of Wednesday, Russia still occupied 108,121 square kilometers (41,745 square miles).

The think tank also noted that Russian forces had "marginally advanced" southeast of Avdiivka, the town in the Donetsk Oblast which has been under siege from Moscow's troops, who have suffered high losses there.

Ukraine's military has said that in the first month of fighting for the town, Russian forces have lost around 10,000 soldiers, more than 100 tanks, over 250 other armored vehicles and seven Su-25 aircraft.

The British Defense Ministry said said last month that Russia had likely suffered some of its highest casualty rates of the war, mainly because of its campaign for Avdiivka.

Geo-located footage from Wednesday confirmed that Russian offensive operations achieved limited success in the industrial zone near the city where Ukrainian forces had counterattacked the same day, the ISW said. Meanwhile, geo-located footage has also confirmed some Ukrainian advances in Stepove on Avdiivka's northern flank, the think tank added.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Thursday that its troops had repelled 25 attacks against Avdiivka and its flanks.

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