Zelenskyy says Ukraine has reclaimed 800 square kilometers of territory this year
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (facebook.com_zelenskyy.official)
Since the beginning of 2026, the Russian army has occupied 890 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. At the same time, the Defense Forces have liberated 800 square kilometers during the same period, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
The head of state noted that the total advance of the Russian army amounts to only 90–100 square kilometers, which is many times less than in previous years, when Russia occupied 3,000–4,000 square kilometers annually. The president emphasized that for the Russian army, "almost everything is freezing" on the battlefield.
He added that for these minimal territorial gains, the Russian army has lost around 260,000-270,000 troops since the beginning of the year. Zelenskyy stressed that although human losses do not mean defeat for Moscow, the situation is far from successful for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"The situation on the battlefield is not successful for Putin. He is not winning, and he is not losing," Zelenskyy said, adding that for him, human losses are not a loss.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire with Russia. He said Kyiv would refrain from striking Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
In addition, Zelenskyy said he could hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that the main issue should be achieving a concrete result from the meeting.
