Net Russian progress in Ukraine each year since December 31, 2022:

2023: +588 km²
2024: +3,457 km²
2025: +5,559 km²

Here's the same map, but overlayed with the borders of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts.

Percentage of the different regions of Ukraine controlled by Russia, as of January 1, 2026:

Crimea + Sevastopol: 100%

Luhansk Oblast: 99.80%
Donetsk Oblast: 80.92%
(Donbas total: 90.38%)

Zaporizhzhia Oblast: 75.50%
Kherson Oblast: 71.08%
(4 Oblasts total: 81.59%)

Kharkiv Oblast: 5.37%
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: 1.39%
Sumy Oblast: 1.20%
Mykolaiv Oblast: 0.54%

Current statuses of the different cities in the 4 Oblasts claimed by Russia, as of January 1, 2026:

Luhansk Oblast:
- 37 controlled by Russia
- 0 controlled by Ukraine
- 0 contested

Donetsk Oblast:
- 40 controlled by Russia
- 8 controlled by Ukraine
- 4 contested

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:
- 11 controlled by Russia
- 3 controlled by Ukraine
- 0 contested

Kherson Oblast:
- 7 controlled by Russia
- 2 controlled by Ukraine
- 0 contested

Additionally, Russia controls 1 city in Kharkiv Oblast (Vovchansk), and another is contested (Kupyansk), out of a total of 18 in the region.

The remaining cities not controlled by Russia in the 4 Oblasts are the following:

Donetsk Oblast: Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Mykolaivka, Dobropillya, Bilytske, Bilozerske, Druzhkivka, Svyatohirsk, Rodynske (contested), Kostyantynivka (contested), Chasiv Yar (contested), and Lyman (contested).

Zaporizhzhia Oblast: Zaporizhzhia City, Orikhiv, and Vilnyansk.

Kherson Oblast: Kherson City and Beryslav.

Out of a total of 112 cities in the 4 Oblasts:
- Russia controls 95
- Ukraine controls 13
- 4 more are contested

Kh-59/69 cruise missile to Hadyach, Poltava Oblast.

Approximate path so far.

It's flying in the direction of Lubny/Hrebinka, Poltava Oblast.

Changed course to Lubny, flying in from the north

Maneuvering, flying back to Pyryatyn/Hrebinka

Changed course again, flying towards Drabiv, Cherkasy Oblast.

5 mins from Kaniv, Cherkasy Oblast

Now approaching Drabiv from the northeast.

Altitude: 500m

Passing by Ozeryshche to Kaniv

Less than 10 km from Kaniv

Disappeared

The missile impacted Kaniv. An explosion was heard. The target doesn't appear to have been the hydroelectric power plant.

Scenes from Kaniv

The Russian MOD announced that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter was shot down yesterday.

It appears that it was shot down over northern Zaporizhzhia Oblast by an R-37 air-to-air missile launched by a Russian Su-35 in the vicinity of Kam'yanka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as the Su-27 was approaching its launch lines to launch glide-bombs at Russian positions (likely in the Hulyaipole direction).

While this is not 100% confirmed yet, it seems very likely. What's interesting is that, unlike usual, the Su-35 wasn't covering any Su-34s launching KAB glide-bombs and may have been circling in the area for the Ukrainian jets to arrive.

🇸🇩⚡- Sudanese drone strike kills Hamid Ali Abubakar, a senior advisor to Hamdan Dagalo, the Head of the Rapid Support Forces, RSF

Hamid Ali Abubakar served as Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Awakening Council, RAC, an elite brigade loyal to the RSF. Abubakar's RAC were one of the units responsible for capturing al-Fashir in the Darfur region, and committing massacres against civilians.