Ukraine liberates eight settlements in major southern offensive, analysts say
Photo: Analysts name liberated settlements in the south (Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces, during their February offensive in the southern sector of the front, have liberated a number of settlements, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
Read also: Ukraine's army chief reveals key gains in southern offensive
Geolocated footage published on February 21 indicates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces recently advanced east of Verbove.
In addition, videos published on February 22 show a Ukrainian servicemember operating in the northwestern part of Ternuvate. ISW experts found no visual evidence that Russian forces have held positions in Ternuvate since February 6, 2026.
According to ISW estimates, Ukrainian troops have recently liberated Andriivka, Ostapivske, Pishchane, Nechaivka, Radisne, and Nove Zaporizhzhia. Analysts also observed no visual evidence of Russian troop presence in any of these settlements for more than two weeks.
Screenshot (Deepstate)
Ukrainian southern offensive
In mid-February, so-called Russian “military correspondents” spread claims about an alleged Ukrainian counteroffensive on the border of the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. However, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces clarified the actual situation in that sector of the front.
Later, on February 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces had de-occupied approximately 300 square kilometers of territory in the south.
On February 22, reports also emerged about active operations by Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces in the Oleksandrivka direction. Their key objective is to disrupt Russia’s plans for further advances within the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Yesterday, February 23, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that during the southern offensive, Ukraine’s Defense Forces liberated eight settlements and about 400 square kilometers of territory.
