Everything is frozen. Except it’s not. If you look at the russian ukraine war map today, you’ll see a jagged, 600-mile scar of trenches, minefields, and ruined villages that hasn't fundamentally moved in months. But zoom in. Really look at the geolocated footage coming out of the Donbas this January. There’s a frantic, grinding energy there that the big-picture maps often miss.
As of January 18, 2026, the maps tell a story of "marginal gains." That’s the clinical term experts use. What it actually means is that Russian forces are trading thousands of lives for a single street in a town you’ve never heard of. It’s brutal. It’s slow. And honestly, it’s a war of inches that is currently leaning in Moscow’s favor in very specific, very dangerous spots.
The Pokrovsk Pressure Cooker
Right now, the most critical part of the russian ukraine war map today is the sector around Pokrovsk. This city is basically the logistics heart of the Donetsk region. If it falls, the Ukrainian defense in the east starts to look like a house with its foundation rotting out.
Lately, Russian forces have been pushing hard southwest of the city. We’re talking about places like Zvirove and Kotlyne. According to the latest reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets, the Russian command has basically smashed together elements of four different brigades—the 30th, 35th, 55th, and 74th—to force a breakthrough. They’re trying to cut the Pavlohrad-Pokrovsk highway. If they do that, the supply lines for the guys in the trenches are toast.
It’s not just a frontal assault. They’re doing this thing where they redeploy units from "quiet" sectors, like Kurakhove, and shove them into the Pokrovsk meat grinder. Specifically, the 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade has been spotted moving into positions to the northeast of the city. It’s a gamble. They’re betting they can break the Ukrainian line before their own logistics crumble under the weight of the winter.
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What’s Happening in the North?
Up in the north, the russian ukraine war map today shows some weird, almost distracting activity near Sumy. The Russian Ministry of Defense recently claimed they took a tiny border settlement called Komarivka. It’s about 90 kilometers northwest of Sumy City.
Is this a new invasion? Probably not.
Most analysts, including the folks at ISW, think this is "cognitive warfare." Basically, Russia is launching small-scale attacks in areas that have been dormant since 2022 to make it look like the whole Ukrainian front is collapsing. It’s a mind game. They want the West to think the war is already over so the money and the shells stop flowing. In reality, they haven't committed the massive number of troops you'd need for a real offensive in the north. It’s just enough to keep the Ukrainian generals nervous.
The Drone Evolution
You can’t talk about the map without talking about the sky. The drones have changed everything. Recently, we’ve seen reports of the Russian "Molniya-2" drones being equipped with Starlink terminals. Yeah, you read that right. By using satellite links, they’ve boosted the range of these suicide drones from 50 kilometers to over 230 kilometers.
This means that even if the front line on the map hasn't moved, the "danger zone" for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians has expanded massively. Ukraine is fighting back with its own interceptor drones, but it’s a constant, high-tech race to see who can jam whose signal first.
The Cold Hard Numbers
Let’s talk about the land itself. According to DeepState and other OSINT groups, Russia currently occupies about 19.26% of Ukraine. That’s roughly 116,250 square kilometers. To put that in perspective for my American friends, that’s about the size of Ohio.
In 2025, Russia grabbed about 2,171 square miles. That sounds like a lot until you realize it’s only about 0.93% of the country. It is a slow, agonizing crawl.
- Russian Casualties: Some estimates, like those from ex-CIA director William Burns, put Russian losses at over 1.1 million killed or wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion.
- Ukrainian Casualties: President Trump recently estimated Ukrainian losses at around 400,000, though the official numbers are guarded like a state secret.
- Infrastructure: The map is also being reshaped by long-range strikes. Ukraine has been hammering Russian oil refineries, reportedly knocking out nearly 40% of their capacity at various points in 2025.
The Zaporizhzhia Threat
One more spot you need to watch on the russian ukraine war map today is Hulyaipole in the south. There’s a "slow but steady" Russian advance there that is starting to threaten villages just 7 kilometers away from the regional capital.
If Russia manages to push through here, they could potentially link up their gains in the south with the pressure they’re applying in the east. It would be a nightmare scenario for the Ukrainian General Staff. The cold is helping the defenders for now—temperatures have dropped to -15°C—but the ice also makes the ground hard enough for tanks to move again.
What This Means for the Future
Honestly, the map is a mess of contradictions. You have Russia making tiny gains at a massive cost, while Ukraine holds on by a thread, waiting for the next shipment of long-range missiles or the result of the latest peace talks in Paris.
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There’s a lot of talk about ceasefires and "security protocols" involving drones and satellites instead of boots on the ground. But for the guy sitting in a frozen trench near Pokrovsk, none of that matters. The only map that counts is the one that shows where the next shell is going to land.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Check Daily OSINT Updates: Sites like DeepStateMap.Live provide the most granular, frequently updated views of the front lines, though they usually have a 24-48 hour delay for operational security.
- Monitor the Energy Grid: The real "map" of the war this winter is the power grid. Watch for reports of strikes on substations in Kyiv and Odesa, as these often dictate the pace of civilian life and military logistics.
- Follow Specialist Analysts: Keep an eye on the Institute for the Study of War and military bloggers like Rob Lee or Michael Kofman, who can explain why a three-mile shift in a forest actually matters for the overall campaign.