Donbas: The Cost of Russia’s War of Inches According to DeepState, after 3 years and 8 months of full-scale war, Russia controls approximately 23% of Donetsk Oblast, while 22.6% remains under Ukrainian control. The rest consists of long-occupied areas and contested zones. This means one thing: Russia’s advance in Donbas has been slow, incremental, and extraordinarily costly. At the current pace, any attempt to complete the occupation of the region would require years more fighting, not weeks or