Ukrainian forces have recaptured 745 sq km (288 sq miles) of Russian-occupied land in the Oleksandrivskyi sector since January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He said 26 settlements had returned to Kyiv’s control and that the operation was carried out “with precision – exactly as planned”.
The claimed gains come as Russian advances have slowed across much of the front, although Russian forces continue to threaten cities in the eastern Donetsk region. The battlefield remains contested, with Russia still announcing village captures and Ukrainian and independent observers disputing the durability of some of those advances.
What Ukraine says it has regained
The Oleksandrivskyi sector covers a 60km (37-mile) stretch where parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts meet. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian airborne assault forces and other units had conducted the offensive from January through August.
Zelenskyy also said Russian losses in the operation amounted to at least 9,550 people killed and more than 6,600 wounded. He said the operation had replenished Ukraine’s “exchange fund”, referring to Russian prisoners of war who could be exchanged for Ukrainians held by Russia.
Related coverage: Ukraine says North Korean military support to Russia is expanding.
How battlefield assessments compare
The Ukrainian open-source group DeepState reported that Ukrainian forces had restored control over 19 settlements along the frontline and pushed Russian troops back in six others. Its assessment broadly aligned with Zelenskyy’s account but gave a different settlement count.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War said Russian online sources were likely using AI-enhanced video footage to support Moscow’s claims of advances. Russian forces continue to announce the capture of villages, while observers say some reported incursions involve only a small number of troops and are short-lived.
Strikes, fuel restrictions and frontline conditions
A Ukrainian attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk hit warships at a naval base and forced two major grain terminals to halt operations, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials and grain-industry sources. Zelenskyy said two frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette and other vessels were hit; Russia’s regional governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, said at least two people, including an eight-year-old child, were killed.
More context: Nizhnekamsk refinery attack highlights Kyiv’s long-range campaign.
Russia’s Orenburg region introduced restrictions on petrol sales after a Ukrainian drone strike on the Orsk refinery. The measures included limits on sales, a ban on filling containers and rules tying sales days to vehicle licence plates. Other Russian regions had already introduced similar restrictions.
Ukraine’s 121st Brigade confirmed the authenticity of a video in which soldiers said they had gone four months without rotation and lacked water and food during a 12-day frontline stint. The brigade said it was taking measures to supply the servicemen, while the South joint forces group described the footage as an isolated fragment of a difficult operational environment.
Pressure on Ukraine’s export routes
Moldova agreed to give Ukraine a 50% discount on rail cargo shipments until the end of the year, according to both governments. Ukraine has sought alternative routes after Russian attacks on its ports and shipping.
Also read: How Ukraine’s Volunteer Army Restores War-Damaged Buildings in Kyiv.
Russian strikes damaged and caused a fire in the Izmail port area of Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, local authorities said. Izmail is Ukraine’s largest Danube port and handles grain and other commodities.
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