Zelenskyy says Ukraine could match Russia's territorial gains by end of 2026
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (flickr.com)
Ukraine expects to reach territorial parity with Russia by the end of 2026 in terms of the amount of territory occupied and liberated since the beginning of the year according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia has occupied around 990 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the year. At the same time, Ukraine's Defense Forces have regained control of approximately 820 square kilometers.
"We believe that in 2026 we will reach an equal amount of Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russians and territory we have liberated, measured in square kilometers," Zelenskyy said.
The president said Ukrainian forces continue to conduct operations in different areas of the front. According to him, the results of another operation are expected by the end of August.
Zelenskyy also spoke about the situation in the Dnipropetrovsk region. He said the region had been almost completely liberated, with around 10 square kilometers remaining under Russian control.
"There are three small villages there. There is virtually no enemy left there," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, reaching territorial parity is important not only on the battlefield. He stressed that the figure also matters from a political and diplomatic perspective.
In 2026, Ukraine's Armed Forces have been conducting active offensive operations in the Oleksandrivskyi sector. Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian forces have liberated 26 settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Meanwhile, DeepState has updated its battlefield map of the Oleksandrivskyi sector, reflecting the advances made by Ukraine's Defense Forces.
