During the last 12 months the Russia has "advanced" so much that it controls about 0.3 % more of Ukraine's territory than it did those 12 monrhs ago. That's less than one third of a percent.

During the whole calendar year 2024 the Russia managed to conquer 0.7 % of Ukraine's total area.

0.7 % is not "advancing". The Russia is not advancing and hasn't advanced since spring 2022.

Why do reporters keep writing that the Russia is advancing when it factually doesn't?

[–] atro_city@fedia.io -1 points 20 hours ago (5 children)

They factually are advancing though. 0.7% is that. It may be gradual, but it's something. I would rather read headlines of Ukraine reversing it of course.

I think you're taking offence at the word "advance". It does sound "big". If they wrote "creeping forward", would that be more acceptable?

[–] Tuuktuuk@sopuli.xyz 3 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

"Creeping forward" would be more acceptable, but still a gross misrepresentation of reality.

The 0.7 % of "advancing" changes nothing regarding the outcome of the war in comparison to complete stability. Also, in World War I the front was not 100 % stable either. There was advancing taking place all the time, but our history books write of it as a stagnant front, because it was indeed functionally stagnant, just like the front in this war has been since mid-2022.

The problem is, a lot of people assume that "creeping forward" means something like 5 % of Ukraine's territory per year, and that misunderstanding affects their willingness to support Ukraine. If they knew that the Russia has not advanced meaningfully in the last three years, their view of the situation would be dramatically different.

[–] atro_city@fedia.io 3 points 15 hours ago

To me creeping forward is that: creeping forward. 5% is not a creep. It's really subjective, which is why to me "advancing" is not a bad term, but a little too big as a word 🤷

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