Russia-Ukraine live war map: 2024 outcomes

The year began with rumors surrounding Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi's resignation, who was eventually appointed Ambassador to the UK. Syrskyi, the new commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, replaced many generals and officers, which inevitably affected the quality of command on the frontlines.

Throughout 2024, Russia maintained its offensive, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces defended and carried out localized counterattacks. The year began with the conclusion of the battle for Avdiivka, which lasted over five months, from October 2023 to February 2024. During this period, Russian forces lost over 47,000 soldiers at this location. After capturing Avdiivka, they made a tactical advance of 56 km into Ukrainian territory, occupying the largest area since 2022. However, their progress was slow, advancing at a rate of only 150 meters per day.

                                                                                                                                     Map of hostilities summarizing the results of 2024, Photo: Espreso

Russia nearly doubled the intensity of combat in 2024. At the start of the year, there were 2,000 to 3,000 clashes per month, but by June, this number rose to 4,500–5,000. Russian forces increased by only 150,000, reaching a total of 600,000 soldiers, but they significantly strengthened their positions on several fronts, including from Avdiivka to Pokrovsk, as well as in Kurakhove, Vuhledar, and Berdiansk. As a result, they succeeded in merging these fronts into one continuous line. After fully occupying Kurakhove, where Ukrainian forces retreated to the western outskirts, the front line stretched over 50 km from north to south. Ukraine lost cities such as Avdiivka, Vuhledar, Selydove, Krasnohorivka, and Ukrainsk, with Kurakhove potentially following. Russian forces have nearly regained all positions lost during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive. In 2025, the battle for the 60,000-strong Pokrovsk and the expansive Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration will likely start. Russian forces are already within 8 km of the Dnipropetrovsk region's border, which will likely need to be defended throughout the upcoming year.

Throughout the year, both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the occupying Russian troops opened several new fronts. Ukrainian forces retreated from Krynky in the Kherson region but managed to take control of parts of the Kursk region. Russian troops launched urban battles in Toretsk and Chasiv Yar. The attack on Toretsk took Ukrainian defenders by surprise, allowing Russian forces to quickly advance into the city. However, Ukrainian forces managed to stabilize the situation, and within six months, Russian troops had occupied just over 50% of the city. The battle for Chasiv Yar has been ongoing for over a year, with Ukrainian forces holding control of more than half of the city and successfully carrying out regular counterattacks.

Attempts by Russian forces to bypass Sloviansk from the north on the Lyman-Siversk front failed, with minimal progress. The biggest threat, an attack on Terny, which could be key to Lyman, has been postponed to next year.

In 2024, Russian troops returned to the Kharkiv region, attempting to occupy Vovchansk, cross the Oskil near Dvorichna, and launch an active offensive on Kupyansk and Borova. While Ukrainian forces stabilized the fronts near Vovchansk and Dvorichna, Russian troops made significant progress near Kupyansk. They managed to divide the Ukrainian foothold between Kupyansk and Borova and are now focusing on advancing along the river, pushing both south and north.

The Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region altered the course of the war, bringing the fight onto Russian territory. While the full details of the Ukrainian General Staff's plans remain unclear, it is evident that not all of them were successful, as the territory under Ukrainian control has halved in recent months. However, Sudzha will welcome the New Year with a video address from the Ukrainian president, and Russian forces have been unable to open another threatening front in the Sumy region.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces not only changed the dynamics by entering the Kursk region but also successfully carried the war thousands of kilometers deep into Russia. Ukraine expanded its "long arm" with new drones and missiles. It acquired F-16 fighter jets, and by the end of the year, Russia's "superweapon," guided bombs, lost its role as a "game-changer" capable of breaking Ukrainian fortifications. Russia can no longer influence the war from the Black Sea, and its military bases and airfields in Crimea have been reduced to ruins.

Russia occupied about 3,300 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory over the year but paid for it with the lives and health of nearly 430,000 Russian soldiers and other occupiers. By comparison, in the first two years of the war, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated over 360,000 Russian troops. At the beginning of the year, around 1,000 Russian soldiers died daily in Ukraine, but by the end of the year, this number had nearly doubled. Recently, a new record for 2024 was set — over 2,000 occupying soldiers were neutralized in a single day. It is likely that such numbers will become routine next year.

Graph of Russian losses throughout 2022 to 2024, photo: Espreso

Meanwhile, Russian losses in artillery and armored vehicles have significantly decreased, as they are running out of supplies and new production is minimal. In 2025, Russia will face a significant shortage of armored vehicles, leaving them with their last remaining advantage — superiority in manpower and "meat assaults." While the year began with a shortage of artillery shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ukraine is ending it, if not with an artillery advantage, at least with parity.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces, which faced significant internal problems, have embarked on a path of reform. Ukraine has created drone units and are approaching structural changes in the ground forces. Entering the new year, the country is focused on ending the war.