Against the background of the defensive actions of the Ukrainian troops, which continue near Chasovoy Yar in Donetsk region, the pace of territory capture by Russia is gradually decreasing, starting from November 2024. By data intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain, in March 2025, the Russian army was probably able to advance only 143 square kilometers deep into Ukrainian territory.
According to the report, the main activity of Russian forces in March was observed in the central part of Donetsk region. At the same time, this activity did not bring the Russian Federation a significant improvement in its operational positions. Ukrainian defenders carried out tactical counterattacks, in particular in the Pokrovsk region, which allowed them to partially push back the enemy’s forces and regain lost positions.
The British Ministry of Defense also presented data on the scale of the occupation of Ukrainian territories in recent months:
- in October 2024 — 502.3 km²,
- in November — 730.5 km²,
- in December — 393.7 km²,
- in January 2025 — 326.1 km²,
- in February — 195.7 km²,
- in March — only 143 km².
British intelligence notes that during most of March, the intensity of Russian ground attacks on various areas of the front remained low. Although activity increased somewhat at the end of the month, this did not lead to a significant acceleration of the offensive.
Against this background, on April 3, the deputy head of the President’s Office, Pavlo Palisa, told journalists that the Ukrainian military command records the preparation of Russian forces to intensify hostilities in several directions. According to him, this year the Russian Federation plans to increase the number of its group in Ukraine by 150,000 people.
Similar information was previously confirmed by the secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Roman Kostenko. Commenting on media reports about the possible offensive of the Russian army in the coming weeks, he noted that due to the fact that the front is stretched for a thousand kilometers, the Russians can intensify offensive actions in certain areas. The Ukrainian command also emphasized the signs of increasing military presence on the part of the Russian Federation to conduct an offensive in several directions.
