Sept. 23, 2026

In brief: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia captured approximately 890 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2026, while Ukraine retook around 800 square kilometers on other parts of the front. According to his figures, Moscow achieved a net territorial advantage of only about 100 square kilometers despite suffering heavy losses.

Russian forces have captured approximately 890 square kilometers (344 square miles) of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of 2026, while Ukraine’s Defense Forces have recaptured around 800 square kilometers (309 square miles), President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky presented the figures in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

“This year, he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] captured about 890 square kilometers [344 square miles], while we de-occupied 800,” Zelensky said.

“So, in different directions, he gained an additional 90 – let’s say 100 – square kilometers [34-39 square miles] during the year,” he added.

The figures represent gross gains made by the two armies on different parts of the front, rather than Ukraine retaking precisely the same territory seized by Russia.

Zelensky says Russia paid heavily for limited gains

According to Zelensky, Russia’s net territorial advantage in 2026 is significantly smaller than the amount of Ukrainian land its forces captured in previous years.

He said Russian troops had previously occupied between 3,000 and 4,000 square kilometers (1,158-1,544 square miles) of additional territory annually.

“You can understand the price of these 100 square kilometers [39 square miles] – it is very high,” Zelensky said.

“He is neither winning nor losing, but his society is losing people and money for the sake of some 100 kilometers,” the president added.

Zelensky estimated that Russia had suffered approximately 270,000 personnel losses in 2026 involving troops who would not return to the battlefield. He did not provide a breakdown of those he described as killed, missing, or permanently unable to fight.

Neither the territorial nor casualty figures presented by Zelensky could be independently verified. Battlefield estimates frequently vary because military authorities and monitoring groups use different methods for counting contested areas, cleared territory, and settlements under partial control.

Ukraine reports counteroffensive gains

Ukraine has reported several successful counteroffensive operations during 2026, particularly in the southern regions and along the border between the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

In May, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had already recaptured approximately 590 square kilometers (227 square miles) since the beginning of the year. The figure increased to 745 square kilometers (288 square miles) by August, when he announced that Ukrainian troops had liberated 26 settlements across three regions.

More recently, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps reported further gains during Operation Vivaldi near Lyman in the northern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces liberated Shandryholove and Derylove and took full control of Drobysheve, according to the corps. Its commander, Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletsky, said the broader operation recovered approximately 125 square kilometers (48 square miles) of territory.

Near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian troops also regained positions around Zapadne and cleared several additional square kilometers from Russian forces.

Earlier territorial claims have sometimes differed from independent battlefield assessments.

In February, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Ukrainian forces had regained as much as 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) in the south, while the Institute for the Study of War had independently confirmed approximately 169 square kilometers (65 square miles) at the time.

The difference reflected contrasting methodologies, incomplete public information, and delays in confirming control over contested areas.

Despite Ukraine’s counterattacks, fighting continues along the roughly 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) front, with both armies attempting to advance in different sectors. Zelensky’s figures suggest that the front has shifted considerably at the local level during 2026 while producing relatively little net territorial change nationwide.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85252