{"id":3244,"date":"2026-03-03T23:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T21:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kyivdefensepolicy.org\/?p=3244"},"modified":"2026-10-05T11:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T08:24:11","slug":"ukraine-gains-ground-as-russia-loses-territory-amid-winter-stalemate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kyivdefensepolicy.org\/uk\/2026\/03\/03\/ukraine-gains-ground-as-russia-loses-territory-amid-winter-stalemate\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine Gains Ground as Russia Loses Territory Amid Winter Stalemate"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a significant shift, Russia has lost more territory than it gained in February 2023, marking a pivotal moment since Ukraine’s unsuccessful counteroffensive earlier in the year. This assessment comes from the independent Finnish open-source intelligence group, Black Bird Group, which reported a net loss of 37 km\u00b2 for Russia. Consequently, the total area of Ukrainian territory under Russian control has decreased to 118,917 km\u00b2.<\/p>\n

The report aligns with statements made by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who announced on March 2 that Ukraine had recaptured more land than Russia had occupied during February. This development reflects a slowdown in Russian advances, reminiscent of the previous winter when Ukrainian forces managed to stabilize their positions during a critical period.<\/p>\n

On the current battlefield, dominated by drones, Russia has resorted to deploying small infantry units to penetrate Ukrainian lines. However, these efforts are hampered by harsh winter conditions and vigilant Ukrainian drone surveillance, which leaves Russian troops exposed without natural cover.<\/p>\n

Ukrainian gains have been primarily attributed to counterattacks along the southern front, where Ukraine has reclaimed 213 km\u00b2 of territory. Despite Kyiv’s aggressive tactics, accurately assessing territorial control remains challenging due to the fluid nature of the contested zones. The Ukrainian advances, as documented in open sources, are largely extended clearing operations rather than the capture of Russian defensive lines.<\/p>\n

These counterattacks, spearheaded by Ukraine’s assault regiments and Air Assault Forces, aim to consolidate and stabilize the southern front in anticipation of an expected Russian offensive in the spring and summer. Although these efforts do not equate to the sweeping counteroffensives of 2022, they are crucial in shaping the battlefield for what promises to be an intense year of conflict.<\/p>\n

This story is brought to you by a dedicated newsroom supported by a community of 35,000 members. Their contributions ensure that our reporting remains accessible to all. Consider joining them to help us continue delivering independent journalism.<\/p>\n

\u0427\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u0431\u0456\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0435 \u0437\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\u043c kyivindependent.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Russia lost more territory than it gained in February 2023, marking a shift since Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive. According to Black Bird Group, Russia’s net loss was 37 km\u00b2, reducing its control to 118,917 km\u00b2. Ukrainian gains are attributed to counterattacks along the southern front.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3245,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[764,782,762,701,882,677,674,678,799],"class_list":["post-3244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-war","tag-attack","tag-battlefield","tag-freezing","tag-kyiv","tag-offensive","tag-russia","tag-trump","tag-ukraine","tag-war","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nUkraine Gains Ground as Russia Loses Territory Amid Winter Stalemate - Kyiv Center for Defense Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivdefensepolicy.org\/uk\/2026\/03\/03\/ukraine-gains-ground-as-russia-loses-territory-amid-winter-stalemate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"uk_UA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ukraine Gains Ground as Russia Loses Territory Amid Winter Stalemate - Kyiv Center for Defense Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Russia lost more territory than it gained in February 2023, marking a shift since Ukraine's failed counteroffensive. 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