Report – Ukraine's Army Liberated More Territory from Russia in March than It Lost

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) achieved a net gain of 27 square kilometers (10.4 square miles) of territory liberated from Russian forces along the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) front during the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war in March 2026. This marks the first time since October 2025 that Ukrainian troops have reported such gains, as detailed in a review published by the Washington Institute for the Study of War. These findings are corroborated by research conducted by Kyiv Post throughout the month.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian army, commented on ICTV, stating that Ukrainian forces have shifted the dynamics of the fighting, gaining the initiative and achieving net territorial gains against Russia. In a one-hour interview, Syrskyi emphasized that since the end of January, his troops have been advancing slowly but steadily, with local counterattacks in the southern sectors of Oleksandrivka-Zaporizhzhia yielding the greatest successes.

“The success lies precisely in the liberation of territory. As of today, this amounts to 480 square kilometers [185 square miles] liberated since January. This exceeds the results we achieved during the counteroffensive operation in Dobropillia [in 2025],” Syrskyi stated.

March 2026 marked the second consecutive month in which Russia lost more territory than it gained in Ukraine, which the Kremlin invaded in February 2026. Currently, Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign territory.

The last time Ukrainian forces were able to achieve net territorial gains for two consecutive months was in July and August 2025, when Ukraine invaded Russia and temporarily occupied around 1,300 square kilometers (502 square miles) of land—an area roughly equivalent to the territory gained in the recent months.