Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine’s armed forces have regained about 590 square kilometres of territory since the beginning of 2026, while also strengthening defensive positions across the front line.
Speaking during his evening address, Zelensky said Ukrainian troops had continued to push back against Russian forces and improve their position on the battlefield.
“Indeed, Ukrainian positions are stronger now than in previous years. Since the beginning of the year, 590 square kilometers of our territory have been liberated and brought back under control,” he said.
He added that the current situation was becoming increasingly difficult for Russia, noting that Ukrainian forces were intensifying attacks on Russian troops.
“The trend is definitely not in the occupier’s interests. We continue to increase the rate of destruction of Russian personnel – this, together with sanctions in all forms, is forcing Russia to choose diplomacy,” Zelensky stated.
The Ukrainian leader also disclosed that Kyiv and its international allies were working to intensify diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict. According to him, Ukraine is awaiting further communication from the United States concerning possible formats and timelines for future negotiations.
Zelensky further revealed that Ukrainian intelligence agencies were closely monitoring Russia’s military and political strategies and sharing relevant findings with allied countries.
He also commented on a briefing presented by Oleksandr Syrsky regarding long-range attacks targeting Russian military and energy infrastructure.
“Our long-range sanctions continue. We are achieving the designated goals inside Russia, primarily targeting Russian oil refining and oil export capabilities,” Zelensky said.
“This day, there was a strike on the Yaroslavl refinery – 700 kilometers from our border. We continue our long-range operations,” he added.
Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian president claimed that Russian troop losses since the start of 2026 had exceeded 145,000 personnel.
According to Zelensky, nearly 86,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, while about 59,000 others sustained serious injuries. He also said more than 800 Russian troops had been captured by Ukrainian forces.
He noted that Ukrainian operations were ongoing across several battlefronts, including the northeastern Sumy region bordering Russia.
Ukraine’s General Staff also claimed that Russia’s total military losses since the start of the full-scale invasion had reached approximately 1,353,860 personnel as of May 22, including 880 casualties recorded within the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a separate joint investigation by BBC Russian Service and Mediazona reportedly identified 217,808 confirmed Russian military deaths as of May 9.
Zelensky’s latest remarks came shortly after Ukraine’s defence minister stated earlier this month that Russia had continued losing more troops than it was able to recruit for the fifth consecutive month.
