KYIV, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of … [+]
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,098
Three Years of Full-scale War in Ukraine, in Numbers
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, we’ve compiled statistics that reveal the toll of the Kremlin’s military campaign. Beyond the battlefield, the war has altered the lives of millions in Ukraine and beyond. While international military and financial support have bolstered Ukraine’s resilience, the country confronts an uncertain future as peace talks, initiated by the Trump administration with the Kremlin, unfold against the backdrop of staggering human and economic losses.
Human Cost of the War
Ukraine’s population has cratered, falling by 10 million since February 2022, a loss of a quarter of its pre-war population of 41-42 million. With no demographic census carried out since 2001, data from mobile phone operators in mid-2024 puts the population in Kyiv-controlled areas at circa 30 million, while Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy uses an estimate of 33 million. The depopulation trend, which began in 1994, is compounded by a combination of low birth rates and high mortality. According to a CIA report, Ukraine suffered the world’s highest mortality rate in 2024, at 18.6 per thousand, and the lowest birth rate at just 6 per thousand.
With the launch of Russia’s invasion, a mass exodus of Ukrainians swept across Europe and into the western regions of the country in early 2022. Three years later, as of January 2025, nearly 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees remain abroad; of these, 6.3 million have settled in Europe, primarily in Germany and Poland. Internally, 4.9 million people are displaced as of December 2024, with 2.5 million unable to return to their homes due to their proximity to the frontlines, widespread destruction, or continuing Russian occupation.
In 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning illegal child abductions by Russia, which have resulted in the disappearance of 1.6 million Ukrainian children over the past decade. Russia has acknowledged 744,000 of these children but refuses to disclose their current locations, according to figures presented at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos. Thousands have been taken from orphanages and forcibly relocated, with only 1,037 returned to Ukraine to date.
Territorial Losses
Since October 2023, Russia has focused its offensives on the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, capturing 1,390 square miles and increasing the Kremlin-controlled territory of Ukraine from 17.6% to 18.2%. Despite these efforts, advances have been limited, with the most significant gains near Avdiivka totaling just 30 miles in depth. Ukrainian forces, largely on the defensive last year, launched an unexpected incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024, capturing 400 square miles, including the district center of Sudzha.
Meanwhile, static battles persist in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, or regions, in Ukraine’s north and south, respectively, while slow Ukrainian withdrawals continue in other areas. Ukrainian open-source war analysis project DeepState estimates that Russian forces have seized control of 26,420 square miles of Ukrainian territory since 2022. Yet, at the current pace, capturing the entire Donetsk region would take over two more years.
Civilian, Military, and Equipment Losses
As the war drags on, the death toll among civilians and military personnel has notably accelerated in 2024. Civilian casualties surged last year, with the United Nations reporting a 30% year-over-year increase in both deaths and injuries. Tragically, children bear a growing share of the toll, with more child casualties recorded in the first nine months of 2024 than in all of 2023. As of December 2024, the official civilian death toll stands at 12,605 (including 669 children), while 29,178 have been wounded.
According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 45,100 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict so far, a sharp rise from the 31,000 reported a year ago. Other estimates, however, suggest that the verified number of Ukrainian military deaths exceeds 70,000. In parallel, a joint investigation by independent Russian news outlet Mediazona and BBC News Russian has verified more than 95,000 Russian military personnel killed, through an analysis of obituaries, military memorials, and cemetery records.
According to open-source intelligence from Oryx, a Netherlands-based military analysis platform, Russian forces have lost more than 20,000 units of military equipment since the start of the full-scale invasion, including more than 15,000 destroyed, with 840 severely damaged, 1,115 abandoned, and around 3,000 captured by Ukrainian forces. In the last year alone, Russian forces lost approximately 4,000 tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery systems, while Ukrainian losses amounted to 1,100 units.
Since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has launched an estimated 10,000 missiles and 21,000 drones against Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses have intercepted 26,525 aerial threats over three years, including 93% of Shahed-type drones and 32% of incoming missiles. Recent escalations include the launch of a record-breaking 267 drones on February 23, 2025, followed by 185 more the following night.
International Support for Ukraine
International assistance remains a cornerstone of Ukraine’s economic stability. In 2024 alone, Ukraine received $41.7 billion in financial aid, bringing the total since 2022 to over $115 billion. The European Union leads this effort, contributing nearly $45 billion, followed by $31 billion from the United States. Military support has been equally critical, with the U.S. providing $64 billion in arms. Looking ahead, the G7 alliance of industrialized nations aim to provide $50 billion in aid in 2025, partially funded by revenues from frozen Russian assets.
On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, several nations unveiled significant military aid packages for Ukraine in 2025. The UK committed $4.5 billion in support, along with the largest sanctions package against Russia. Canada will provide $3.5 billion from frozen Russian assets, while Norway pledged $3.1 billion and Spain allocated an additional $1 billion in support.
However, it appears that in exchange for its significant aid, the U.S., as the largest single donor, may demand access to Ukraine’s resources, the value of which far exceeds the support provided. The deal concerning rare earth elements and other minerals seems unfavorable for Ukraine and, notably, lacks security guarantees from the U.S.
The Road Ahead
As the war enters its fourth year, Ukraine’s transformation is undeniable. After three years of relentless conflict, the nation is depleted, and its people’s reserves have been stretched to the limit. Yet, recent attacks by Trump on Zelenskyy have spurred a renewed sense of unity and resolve in the face of impending change and heightened uncertainty.
