Zelenskyy: Ukraine has reclaimed over 700 sq km of land since January
Ukraine's president says forces have recaptured 745 sq km of Russian-held territory in the Oleksandrivskyi sector this year, as Kyiv also struck Russia's Novorossiysk naval base.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country's forces have recaptured 745 sq km (288 sq miles) of Russian-occupied land since the start of the year in the so-called Oleksandrivskyi sector, a roughly 60km stretch of front where the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions meet. He said airborne assault troops and other units carried out the operation, inflicting at least 9,550 Russian deaths and more than 6,600 wounded, while 26 settlements were returned to Ukrainian control. The Ukrainian open-source monitoring group DeepState reported broadly similar findings, saying control had been restored over 19 settlements and Russian troops pushed back in six more. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said Russian sources may be using AI-enhanced footage to bolster claims of their own advances.
Strike on Novorossiysk
On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces launched a major drone and missile attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, hitting warships at a naval base and halting operations at two major grain terminals. Zelenskyy said two frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette and other vessels were struck. Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said at least two people were killed, including an eight-year-old child. Novorossiysk also hosts oil export infrastructure, including facilities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, partly owned by US firms Chevron and Exxon Mobil. Reports said Ukraine had agreed, following a request from US Vice-President JD Vance, not to target that infrastructure or non-sanctioned foreign vessels.
Fuel curbs and frontline hardship
Russia's Orenburg region has introduced fuel rationing after a Ukrainian drone strike on the Orsk refinery. Separately, a video emerged of Ukrainian soldiers from the 121st Brigade describing four months on the frontline without rotation and severe water shortages; the brigade confirmed the video's authenticity. Moldova has also agreed to give Ukraine a 50% discount on rail cargo shipments through the end of the year, as Ukraine seeks alternatives to sea routes, while Russia struck Ukraine's Izmail port in the Odesa region on Wednesday night.
