Ukraine has regained control of 400 square kilometres of territory, including eight settlements, along a section of the southern frontline since the end of January, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said.
Syrskyi's statement on Monday did not make clear how much of the newly secured territory had previously been under Russian control and how much lay in "grey zone" areas not firmly held by either side.
The rare battlefield gains in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region stand in contrast to the broader trend of slow and costly Russian advances across the frontlines over the past two and a half years, as the war nears its fourth anniversary.
Ukraine is keen to show the world - and particularly to US President Donald Trump - that it is not losing ground in its war against Russia, at a time when Washington is pressing Ukraine to agree to a peace deal.
‘Astonishing’ gains
The front lines in Ukraine have become increasingly blurred as thousands of drones fill the skies each day, pushing soldiers underground or into hard cover and creating zones where neither army exercises full control.
Trump has previously said that Ukraine should make concessions as it is in danger of losing the war, which started on February 24, 2022.
Kiev and its European allies have pushed back against this narrative, pointing out that Russia has captured little over 1 percent of Ukraine's territory since 2023 at huge cost, and that Moscow's vital oil infrastructure is facing escalating threats from Ukrainian drone strikes.
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Ukraine's "astonishing" gains in February, saying they demonstrated that Kiev's resistance was more effective than often portrayed.
