Russia Claims Territorial Gains While Kyiv Disputes Numbers
Russia says it has seized 1,700 sq km of Ukrainian territory since the start of the year and is pressing further into key towns in the Donbas. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, said during an inspection that Russian forces had captured 80 villages and advanced 7 to 12 km closer to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Fighting is also continuing near Kostyantynivka and in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, where Russia says it intends to establish a "security zone". These claims cannot be independently verified. Reuters was unable to confirm them and the Ukrainian General Staff did not immediately respond.
Pro-Ukrainian maps, meanwhile, show a much smaller Russian advance of approximately 592 square km. Kyiv also claims to have regained nearly 50 sq km of territory in March.
Although Moscow claims to control most of the Donbas and large parts of other regions, available maps suggest the pace of its advance has slowed considerably in 2026.