The large-scale invasion undertaken by Russia into its neighboring country is four years old. France 24 reviews the advances and setbacks of Russian troops, as well as the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the major battles, the claims of the parties within the framework of the lengthy peace talks and the consequences for the European continent.

First modification: 02/24/2026 - 05:16

On February 24, 2022, as the world began to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special operation” in Ukraine. For the first time in a long time, a power other than the United States began a military invasion of another country.

Diplomatic efforts to stop the conflict were fruitless, and since then the consequences for Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the world have only increased. Below, we analyze the four-year war from four angles.

Read alsoKiev in the dark: improvised shelters after four years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Russian advance vs. the ukrainian counteroffensive

Russian speculation of a fall of kyiv within weeks was diluted in just over a month. The Kremlin troops encountered unexpected resistance from Ukraine, which, with weapons support from its Western allies, activation of its reserves and intervention of a large part of the civilian population, forced the invader to retreat and allowed it to recover large areas of its territory.

As part of their counteroffensive, on August 16, 2024, Ukrainian troops surprised the world with an incursion into the Russian Kursk region. The objective was to force Moscow to give up the pressure it was exerting in Donetsk and Lugansk. A goal that was not met because Russia maintained its presence in the invaded territory, while recovering the attacked area with the support of North Korean troops.

According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia took control of some 4,700 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory last year, an area almost twice the size of Moscow. According to the Russian Army, the Kremlin currently has total or partial control of just over 19% of Ukraine, with a total occupation of about 116,000 km², something that Ukrainian maps agree on.

“There is a costly tie or a tragic stalemate”

Analysts consider, however, that these figures (an increase of one percentage point compared to the Russian position two years ago) represent minor progress in the face of the high cost of the war.

"There is a costly tie or a tragic stagnation. Russia advances very little for the potential it has and Ukraine has enough strength to slow down the Russian advance, but not to recover territory," considers Juan Battaleme, former secretary of International Affairs of the Argentine Ministry of Defense and professor at the University of the Center for Macroeconomic Studies of Argentina (UCEMA), in dialogue with France 24 in Spanish.

Read alsoWar in Ukraine: the high territorial and human cost in a conflict without decisive progress

The great battles

The first major battle occurred in the capital of the attacked country. The Kremlin's calculations indicated an immediate fall of kyiv, but they failed. "It demonstrated Ukraine's capacity as a skillful defender. They managed to resolve the strategic 'shock' that the Russian invasion of Crimea represented. They managed not to modernize, but to develop a force that would be capable of confronting the Russians if they carried out the same type of operation," Battaleme highlighted.

The Moscow Army did succeed in the prolonged siege of Mariupol and the siege of the Azovstal steelworks, which resulted in control of the city and the creation of a land corridor to Crimea, a region it had already annexed in 2014.

Russia also suffered a strategic defeat in Kharkiv, as Ukraine held back its advance on the country's second-largest city.

The Bakhmut confrontation is considered one of the bloodiest and longest, with a high human cost for both commands. Specialists consider that it was a war of attrition.

Intense fighting in Severodonetsk-Lysychansk led to the Russian occupation of most of the Lugansk region, while, with the Kharkiv and Kherson counteroffensives, Ukraine regained large areas of territory.

"Russia, once it managed to consolidate its control of that red spot, prepared for a war of numbers. Ukraine was less prepared for a war of attrition," said the professor consulted.

Read alsoUkraine: this is the life of those who stayed in Mariupol, under Russian control

Peace dialogues in images

As part of peace talks mediated by the United States, Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from an area of ​​Donetsk, which it still controls.

This represents approximately 20% of the region. According to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Donald Trump Administration is trying not to achieve a withdrawal, but rather to establish a demilitarized or free trade area. In addition, the Kremlin demands recognition of the areas it currently controls, including the Crimean peninsula, as Russian territory.

For its part, Ukraine considers it essential to regain control of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant for post-war reconstruction. The US suggested the possibility of shared control, but kyiv rejected any type of management with Moscow.

The issue of security guarantees is another issue on the table. Zelensky's government maintains that it needs some kind of intervention from Western allies to ensure that they do not have a new invasion, while Russia's Vladimir Putin claims that the expansion of Western troops to the east was one of the reasons for the "special operation" in Ukraine.

“The claims of the Ukrainians and the claims of the Russians are completely incompatible and, since neither of them feels that they have lost the war, it is very difficult to propose peace conditions,” analyzed the former Argentine Defense official.

Read alsoTrump and Ukraine: from ending the war in 24 hours to forcing a ceasefire that benefits Russia

The transformation of Europe

The Old Continent is changing at an accelerated pace from 2022, with economic consequences, energy changes and a new look at its defense policy.

Europe covered around 50% of its natural gas supply with imports that arrived, via gas pipeline, from Russia. That demand has dropped by two-thirds over the past three years.

Read alsoNew era?: The supply of Russian gas to Europe through the Ukrainian route ceases

To replace that energy, a reliance on US liquefied natural gas (LNG) developed, which is exponentially more expensive. This had an impact on the bill paid by European citizens and contributed, along with the price of food, to an inflationary increase that reached 11.5% in October 2022.

At the same time, war policies once again took over Europe. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, maintained, during the Munich Security Conference, that European defense spending grew by almost 80% compared to the pre-war period.

The war narrative reached its climax on November 20, 2025, when the chief of the French General Staff, Fabien Mandon, stated:

“If our country falters because it is not willing to accept, let's be honest, losing its children (…) then we are in danger.”

Within this framework, at least ten European countries maintain or reinstated compulsory military service in 2026, France and Germany among them.

“Everyone was harmed, they have to spend more on defense, they have to rethink their relationship with the military instrument and they have to think about autonomy without breaking with the United States for the next 10 years,” Battaleme reflected, adding: “Europe is a clear loser, in the sense that it has to move from its comfort zone and has to rethink itself.”

Read alsoIn front of the mayors of France, the chief of the General Staff prepares the population for war

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