Ukraine Wins Back 480 Square Kilometres in the East

Ukrainian forces have reclaimed about 480 square kilometres of land in the southeast and east, a head‑count given by army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi after a visit to the front. The gains include eight villages in Dnipropetrovsk and four more in Zaporizhzhia. The army says the recovery happened since late January, but Russian troops are still pushing forward with a spring offensive. Syrskyi noted that the Russians have not given up their plans. They are regrouping, even after losing many soldiers and equipment, to try to take more territory and create a “buffer zone” in Dnipropetrovsk. Ukrainian troops, however, are holding their defensive lines and keeping the momentum going.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the current frontline as the best Ukraine has seen since mid‑2024. Analysts say that Ukrainian counter‑attacks in the southeast are disrupting Russian moves around Pokrovsk, a key logistics centre in Donetsk. The Institute for the Study of War reports that Russian forces are stretched thin and struggling to keep up with Ukrainian pressure. Despite these setbacks, Russian units have advanced in the northern part of Pokrovsk. The battle there has been ongoing since mid‑2024, as Russia tries to cement control over Donetsk. Syrskyi visited the area and ordered more ammunition and supplies for Ukrainian troops. With diplomatic talks stalled, Ukraine is also stepping up long‑range strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. In the last two weeks, Ukrainian forces targeted Baltic Sea ports and oil facilities in the Leningrad region.