If you measure strategic gains purely by area perhaps you are...

If you measure strategic gains purely by area perhaps you are right but if you look at strategic gains by strategic value then 2024 has been progressing well for the Russians.

Avdiivka was an important strategic gain, much of the shelling of Donetsk was conducted from that fortress city.

The battle of Chasiv Yar is underway and that fortress city is on a strategicaly important main supply route.

Defeating Ukraines counter offesive at Krynky and removing them from a foothold on the left bank was an important strategic accomplishment.

Devastation of Ukraine's power grid will make logistics that much harder and costly for Ukraine.

They forced Ukraine to expand mobilisation which is deeply unpopular and unsustainable - a one off exercise. The mobilisation could be taken down to 16 year olds like Nazi Germany but will that fly? That cohort is not huge demographically and politically could be massive backlash

Russia has been able to degrade Ukraine air defence systems and introduced FAB3000 aerial glide bomb which they have been able to use on the front line to devastating effect.