Putin boasts about capturing phantom territory far larger than Ukraine itself

"Lately, I won't name the number of settlements right now because I'm afraid of making a mistake, but the Russian army has taken roughly 2,440,000 square kilometers under its control," Putin boasted, even though this figure exceeds the country's total area by more than four times.

Ukraine's area within its internationally recognized borders is approximately 603,600 square kilometers. The text transcript on the Kremlin's website reportedly removed the word "thousand," leaving the phrasing as "2,440 square kilometers."

He also stated that Russia allegedly fully controls Luhansk Oblast and continues to advance in Donetsk Oblast.

The Russian dictator claimed that Ukraine previously controlled about 25% of Donetsk Oblast, and now holds less than 15%. Additionally, he lied that Russia controls approximately 80% of Zaporizhzhya Oblast and that combat operations and "advances" are occurring daily.

Conversely, according to analysts, in recent months Russian forces have not only failed to make significant territorial gains but have also lost previously occupied positions in some areas. Specifically, in April, the Russian army captured 141 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, which is 11.9% less than in March, when the occupiers seized 160 square kilometers.

On May 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has liberated 590 square kilometers of its territory from Russian invaders, and the positions of Ukrainian defenders are now stronger than in earlier years.

On May 20, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are restoring the tactical initiative in various sectors of the front line following a series of counterattacks and due to the increased casualty rate among the aggressor country's troops.