Zelensky named the real scale of front-line changes since the beginning of the year

Since the beginning of 2026, Russian troops have captured about 890 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, while the Defense Forces have liberated about 800 square kilometers over the same period. Such data were given by President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Thus, according to the head of state's calculations, the net change in Russian-controlled territory during this period amounts to about 90 square kilometers. Zelensky himself rounded this figure to about 100 square kilometers.

"This year they captured about 890 square kilometers, and we de-occupied 800. That is, in different directions they gained additional 90 — say, 100 — square kilometers per year," — the president stated.

Zelensky asserts that the current pace of Russian advance is significantly lower than in previous years of the full-scale war. According to him, earlier the Russian army captured approximately 3–4 thousand square kilometers of Ukrainian territory per year.

The president also stated that on almost all main directions the front line is now significantly less mobile, despite Moscow's statements about military successes. In his assessment, territorial changes in 2026 do not indicate a major strategic advance by the Russian army.

In addition, Zelensky estimated Russian losses since the beginning of the year at about 270,000 people, who, according to him, will no longer be able to return to the battlefield. It is impossible to independently confirm this estimate in wartime conditions, and the parties do not fully disclose comparable loss data.

The head of state linked these losses with the relatively small change in the control line. According to him, Russia bears significant human and financial costs for territorial gains that remain limited on the scale of the entire front.

Based on materials: The Wall Street Journal