The Ukrainian Air Shock Force on February 23 announced that it had regained control of 8 residential areas and about 300 km2 of territory since the start of the counter-offensive near the residential area of Oleksandrivka, Dnipropetrovsk province.
According to the announcement, Ukrainian units have disbanded Russian reconnaissance teams and are focusing on preventing the enemy's advance in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, while pushing back Russian forces from the administrative boundaries of Dnipropetrovsk province. Russian units are trying to stick to every meter of territory, but the Ukrainian side affirms that they are still gradually carrying out the task.
In an interview on February 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian army had regained about 300 km2 on the southern front, but did not specify details. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the above statements.
Analysis released by AFP on February 16, based on data from the US-based Institute for War Studies (ISW), initially suggested that Ukrainian forces regained about 201 km2 in the period from November 11-15. 2. The area is mainly located about 80km east of Zaporizhzhia city, an area that has witnessed significant progress from Moscow since the summer of 2025.
Later, AFP corrected the figures, saying that the 201 km2 figure included areas that ISW assessed Russia did not control. The news agency adjusted that Ukraine had re-controlled 91 km2 in the period from February 11-15, including 86 km2 in the eastern Zaporizhzhia region. In the same period, the Russian army gained an additional 28 km2 on other fronts.
Despite adjustments, AFP still believes this is the largest area that Ukraine has regained in such a short time since the failed counter-offensive campaign in June 2023.
