Ukraine’s Defense Forces liberated more territory than they lost during the last two weeks of February 2026, marking the first such development since the summer counteroffensive of 2023.
According to Ukrinform, this was stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to ISW data, since January 1, 2026, Ukrainian forces have liberated approximately 257 square kilometers of territory. Between February 14 and 20, Ukrainian troops achieved a net gain of nearly 33 square kilometers, while from February 21 to 27 they recorded a net gain of approximately 57 square kilometers.
“The last time Ukrainian forces made net gains was during the Summer 2023 counteroffensive, when Ukrainian forces gained 377 net square kilometers in June 2023, 257 net square kilometers in July 2023, and 1.47 net square kilometers in September 2023,” the report said.
Analysts also drew attention to a statement by President Volodymyr Zelensky, published on March 3, in which he said that Ukrainian forces had recaptured 460 square kilometers of territory since the start of 2026. ISW noted that its mapping methodology underestimates Ukraine’s advances, as it reflects the maximum assessed extent of Russian advances “until enough open-source evidence emerges to allow ISW to confidently assess that Russian forces no longer hold those positions.”
In addition, analysts noted that the front line in Ukraine has become uneven with a lack of contiguous lines, further complicating assessments of actual territorial control. Nevertheless, they emphasized that Ukraine’s successes in February 2026 are noteworthy despite discrepancies between Zelensky’s figures and ISW estimates.
“The successful, localized Ukrainian counterattacks of recent weeks are unlikely to grow into a large-scale counteroffensive, and Russian forces will very likely stabilize their positions and begin advancing again. Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes, however, have disrupted Russian efforts to set conditions for their Spring-Summer 2026 offensive and will force Russian troops to establish stable defenses before starting the fight to regain lost ground,” ISW analysts concluded.
