Ukraine recaptured over 600 sq km in 2026, top commander says

Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory since the start of 2026, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on Monday, in what Reuters described as "the latest sign of shifting momentum after years of slow but relentless Russian gains."internazionale

In a post on Telegram, Syrskyi said that in May alone, Ukraine recaptured 100 square kilometers more territory than it lost — marking a continued reversal of Russian battlefield gains that had dominated much of 2024 and early 2025.english.nv+1

A Trend Months in the Making

The announcement caps a months-long shift documented by independent analysts. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Russian forces suffered a net loss of 116 square kilometers of controlled Ukrainian territory in April 2026 — the first such loss since Ukraine's August 2024 incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. Russia Matters, reviewing ISW data, reported that in the four-week period ending May 26, Russian forces saw a net loss of roughly 100 square miles of Ukrainian territory.euromaidanpress+2

The Russian rate of advance has declined sharply since its peak in late 2024. ISW data shows Russian forces seized an average of 2.9 square kilometers per day in early 2026, down from 9.76 square kilometers per day during the same period in 2025. The pace of Ukrainian recapture has meanwhile accelerated: in February, Ukraine retook roughly 200 square kilometers in a five-day stretch near Zaporizhzhia — its biggest gain in over two years, according to an AFP analysis of ISW data.aljazeera+2

Long-Range Strikes and a New Combat Model

Analysts attribute the shift to multiple factors. In an earlier assessment, Al Jazeera reported that Ukrainian strikes beyond 20 kilometers doubled in April compared to March and quadrupled relative to February, disrupting Russian supply lines and command infrastructure. In April, Reuters reported that Ukraine's Defense Ministry had deployed a new operational model integrating drone-assault units with infantry, crediting the approach with territorial gains in southern Ukraine.reuters+1

Syrskyi noted in March that Russia continues to conduct offensive operations along nearly the entire 1,200-kilometer front line, with the heaviest fighting concentrated in the Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Lyman sectors. His stated goal for 2026 remains a "strategic defensive operation aimed at depleting the Russian army" while creating conditions for larger offensive actions.militarnyi+1

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had also cited the 600 square kilometer figure last month, according to Reuters.internazionale