Ukrainian forces have regained more than 400 square kilometres of territory in southern Ukraine in the past six weeks, partially disrupting Russia’s military plans, according to Ukrainian officials.

A post by the Ukrainian-focused account MilitaryNewsUA on X reported that Ukraine’s Defense Forces had regained roughly 400-435 square kilometres of territory in southern Ukraine over the past month and a half.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s plans remain unchanged, with Moscow still aiming to capture the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions during its expected spring offensive.

The developments suggest a setback for Russia as fighting continues across several fronts in the war that began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Zelenskyy Says Winter Offensive Failed

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had regained about 460 square kilometres of land since the beginning of 2026 and argued that Russia’s winter offensive had failed.

“Putin failed in his winter offensive,” Zelenskyy said. “The Russians will try to carry out spring offensives, but I think they will lose once again, and many soldiers will die for nothing.”

Despite the Ukrainian gains, Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia’s strategic objectives remain focused on eastern Ukraine, particularly the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have been at the center of the conflict since it escalated.

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Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, also reported battlefield progress in February. According to Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces regained more territory in February than Russia captured during the same period, marking the first such development since Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region.

He said Ukrainian troops were conducting active operations in the Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole directions in southern Ukraine, areas where Ukrainian forces have been attempting to halt Russian advances and push back their positions.

In a social media update, Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had regained around 400 square kilometres of territory and eight towns and villages in the Oleksandrivka direction since late January.

Ukrainian Forces Make Gains in Southern Fronts

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces have also been engaged in efforts to prevent further Russian advances in the regions of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. Military officials said their key objectives include halting Russian movement, destroying enemy forces, and pushing them out of strategic areas.

The war has increasingly involved the widespread use of drones, with Ukraine developing significant expertise in defending against aerial attacks.

Zelenskyy recently suggested that Ukraine could share that expertise internationally. In comments reported by Bloomberg, he said Ukrainian specialists could help Middle Eastern countries intercept Iranian-made drones if regional leaders persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.

Ukraine has spent years improving its ability to counter drones, particularly Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia has used extensively against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Interceptor Drones Key to Kyiv’s Defense

Syrskyi said interceptor drones played a major role in defending Kyiv and the surrounding areas from aerial attacks in February.

According to him, interceptor drones accounted for more than 70 percent of the interceptions of Shahed drones around the Ukrainian capital during that period.

Ukrainian interceptor drones carried out roughly 6,300 sorties in February and destroyed more than 1,500 Russian drones of various types, Syrskyi said.

Military officials said the country’s small air-defense systems remained highly effective despite worsening weather and shortages of interceptor equipment.

Ukraine’s military leadership is now working with manufacturers to improve interceptor drones and respond to new Russian tactics, including the use of drones flying at extremely low altitudes.

Syrskyi said additional drone crews are being trained while air defense units continue to expand in order to strengthen the protection of cities, energy infrastructure, and other critical facilities.

“The protection of peaceful Ukrainian cities and towns, our energy system, and other critical infrastructure sites in the rear is at stake,” he said.

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