Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Much of the success stems from Operation Vivaldi, which freed 277 square kilometers.
In an October 18 video message on social media, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his soldiers have recaptured more territory than Russian forces managed to take this fall.
As Zelensky put it, “We are seeing results on the front.”
Fresh momentum is showing up across key hot spots. Ukrainian troops are smashing Russian assaults in Dobropillia in Donetsk, while holding firm across Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.
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The trend continues
Pointing to the gritty defense, the Ukrainian president added that the “front is strong.”
The gains reflect a broader trend. “The trend this year continues – since the start of fall, our warriors have liberated more territory than the Russians have managed to capture. The same was true at other points this year,” Zelensky said.
Much of that success stems from Operation Vivaldi. On October 14, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps announced that soldiers reclaimed 101 square kilometers in Lyman. In total, the push freed 16 settlements and 277 square kilometers, according to corps commander Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi.
A hollow boast from the Kremlin
Moscow paints an entirely different picture. While Russian military leaders flood state channels with bold claims of sweeping victories across the map, independent conflict monitors see something else entirely.
According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian commanders are sharing “greatly exaggerated claims of Russian frontline advances that do not correspond to battlefield realities.”
Instead, reports suggest Russian troops are in retreat. Throughout October 2026, Moscow’s units have lost an average of seven square kilometers every day. That steady backward slide directly contradicts Vladimir Putin’s talk of ongoing advances.
Why push the fiction? The ISW explained that Moscow fabricates these wins to project strength, “such that Ukraine and its Western partners should capitulate to Russia’s negotiation demands.”
Still, the situation on the ground tells another story.
