4 years of war - Key figures, map of destruction, and timeline of important events

Four years after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, we analyze the human and financial cost of the war initiated by Vladimir Putin.

The war in Ukraine enters its fifth year today, and despite repeated attempts to organize peace negotiations mediated by the United States, an end to the conflict is not in sight.

Exact data on the number of war victims is impossible to obtain, but four years of conflict have provided enough information to outline some estimates.

Key Figures of the War in Ukraine

1.2 million victims, including 325,000 deaths - losses of the Russian army between February 2022 and December 2025. It is the largest number of soldiers killed from a major power in any conflict since World War II, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

500,000-600,000 victims, including 140,000 deaths - losses of the Ukrainian army during the same period, according to CSIS.

15,172 Ukrainian civilians killed, including 739 children, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as reported by The Independent.

58,495 airstrikes and drone attacks carried out by Russian and Ukrainian forces in 2022, according to the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Over half of the attacks occurred in the last year of the war.

13,866 drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians since the beginning of the war, according to ACLED. In 2025, there was a 203% increase in these attacks.

1,894 Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

19.4% of Ukrainian territory is controlled by Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), up from 7% before February 2022.

0.79% - territorial gain by Russian forces on Ukrainian soil in 2025, amidst a war of attrition.

400 square kilometers liberated by Ukrainians in Donbas (approximately 10% of the territory conquered by Russians in the last year). Russia lost 167 soldiers for every kilometer occupied, according to an interview given by Zelensky to Financial Times.

40,000 new soldiers mobilized by Russia each month, of which approximately 35,000 are lost, according to Zelensky.

99% - decrease in American aid to Ukraine after Donald Trump became President of the United States (from 46.39 billion euros to 0.46 billion), according to the Kiel Institute.

13% - decrease in international aid to Ukraine in 2025 compared to the average from 2022-2024.

5,923,870 Ukrainian refugees worldwide, according to UNHCR.

4,546 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Romania. Another 203,802 have received temporary protection, according to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI).

587.7 billion dollars - estimated amount needed for Ukraine's recovery from 2026-2035. This is a 12% increase from last year's estimate, according to a report by the World Bank Group, the Ukrainian government, the European Commission, and the United Nations.

Map of Destruction in Ukraine

harta distrugeri Ucraina The Telegraph ACLED — *Source: The Independent / ACLED*

yellow - educational units
red - energy infrastructure
dark green - healthcare units
light green - residential targets

Chronology of the War in Ukraine

Russian forces failed to capture Kyiv in three days, the initial objective of the "special military operation" launched by Putin, and lost their initial gains. Moscow then shifted focus to gaining control over eastern Ukraine while simultaneously launching waves of drone and missile attacks against civilian centers across the country.

Here are some key dates in the evolution of the war, according to the German radio station ZDF, cited by Deutsche Welle:

February 24, 2022: Russia launches a large-scale invasion with ground, air, and missile attacks.

March 2, 2022: Russian forces capture the Herson region, near the occupied Crimea.

March 25, 2022: Ukrainian troops repel Russia's attempt to encircle Kyiv; Russia shifts focus to eastern Ukraine.

April 2, 2022: Hundreds of civilian bodies are found after Russian forces withdraw from the city of Bucea.

May 21, 2022: Russian forces take control of Mariupol after fierce battles.

September 10, 2022: Ukrainian counteroffensive drives Russian troops out of the Kharkiv region.

September 30, 2022: Russia illegally annexes Lugansk, Donetsk, Herson, and Zaporizhzhia, although it does not fully control the regions.

November 9, 2022: Russian forces withdraw from the city of Herson.

2023: The war slows down, with a greater emphasis on drone and missile attacks.

May 10, 2024: Russia launches a new campaign against the Kharkiv region, and Germany and the US allow Ukraine to use the weapons they provided against targets inside Russia.