Ukraine Liberates More Territory In South As Panicked Russians Reel

Last month, for the first time since the Kursk offensive in 2024, Ukrainian forces took more territory than did the Russians. It is worth noting that this also coincides with the Ukrainians inflicting more casualties on the Russians than the Kremlin is able to replace with new recruits and conscripts. 

Ukrainian forces have already liberated 9 villages, towns or settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector in Ukraine's southeast and are continuing their offensive in that area in addition to keeping up their successful defenses of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Kharkiv oblasts. In short, the Russians have failed to achieve their ostensible 2026 'winter offensive' goals of targeting Ukrainian civilian heating and electricity as well as attempting to advance anywhere along the front. JL

Tania Myronyshena reports in the Kyiv Independent:

Ukraine has breached Russian defensive lines and liberated nine more settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector along the southeastern front line, Ukraine's Air Assault Forces said on March 2. Since the launch of the operation on Jan. 29, Russia has lost 6,537 troops, including 4,355 killed, 2,167 wounded, and 15 captured. Ukrainian forces regained more territory in February 2026 than Russia captured during the same period. Air Assault forces are continuing their offensive operations in this sector. 

Ukraine has liberated nine settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector along the southeastern front line, Ukraine's Air Assault Forces said on March 2 on Facebook.

The announcement follows a statement by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said Ukrainian forces regained more territory in February 2026 than Russia captured during the same period.

"Three additional settlements in the area have been fully cleared of Russian troops, while fighting continues for several more," the statement read.

The Air Assault Forces said their units are continuing offensive operations, pushing Russian troops out of fortified positions and cutting key supply routes.

The operation in the Oleksandrivka sector began on Jan. 29, coinciding with the introduction of new restrictions on the use of Starlink terminals by Russian forces. Under the measures, all terminals not registered in Ukraine's state system ceased operating on Ukrainian territory.

"This significantly affected the occupiers' situational awareness and complicated unit command and control at the initial stage, but the enemy did not halt its offensive operations and continued to advance," the Air Assault Forces said.

The Oleksandrivka sector of the front line lies at the junction of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Since the launch of the operation on Jan. 29, Russia has lost 6,537 troops, including 4,355 killed, 2,167 wounded, and 15 captured, according to the Air Assault Forces.

 

The 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces said on March 1 that Ukrainian troops had breached Russian defensive lines in the sector, without disclosing the exact location.

Earlier, on Feb. 23, Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had regained control of eight settlements and liberated 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory from Russian occupation since late January 2026.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine will not agree to territorial concessions, arguing that giving up land would not bring lasting peace.