Since the beginning of 2026, the Russian army has occupied 890 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. At the same time, the Defense Forces have liberated 800 square kilometers during the same period, stated Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski in an interview given to The Wall Street Journal.
Zelenski mentioned that the total advance of the Russian army amounts to only 90-100 square kilometers, which is significantly less than in previous years, when Russia occupied annually 3,000-4,000 square kilometers. The president emphasized that, for the Russian army, “almost everything stagnates” on the battlefield.
He added that, for these minimal territorial gains, the Russian army has lost approximately 260,000–270,000 soldiers since the beginning of the year. Zelenski emphasized that, although the human losses do not mean a defeat for Moscow, the situation is far from being a success for the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“The situation on the battlefield is not favorable for Putin. He is not winning, but he is not losing either,” Zelenski declared.
Previously, he said that Ukraine is ready for an energy armistice with Russia, recalls RBC Ukraine. The Ukrainian president affirmed that his country will refrain from attacking Russian energy facilities if Moscow ceases to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
In addition, Zelenski stated that he could engage in direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing that the main objective should be to achieve a concrete result from the meeting.