Russia captured more than 5,600 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in 2025, the highest annual total since the first year of the war, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The land seized exceeds that taken in the previous two years combined, though it remains far short of the more than 60,000 sq km Russia occupied in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that he has named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new top aide, replacing Andriy Yermak, who resigned in November amid a corruption investigation. Budanov, 39, is credited with overseeing several daring operations against Russian forces and said the role was “both an honour and a responsibility – at a historic time for Ukraine”.
Zelenskyy also said he intends to replace Defence Minister Denys Shymhal, appointed only six months ago, with Mykhailo Fedorov, currently minister of digital transformation. The president praised Fedorov’s work on drone technology and digital services. Meanwhile, Kyiv is preparing to host security advisers from about 15 countries on Saturday, including representatives from the EU and Nato, with a US delegation joining via video link.
Russian forces continued their aerial campaign overnight, striking a residential area in Kharkiv. At least two people were killed, including a three-year-old child, and around 25 were injured, according to local officials. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “heinous”, while Moscow denied responsibility, suggesting the explosion was caused by Ukrainian ammunition.
Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 3,000 children and their parents from 44 frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, where Russian troops are advancing. Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said over 150,000 people have been evacuated from frontline areas since 1 June.
