Ukraine recapture 8 settlements in rare battlefield success

Ukraine touts recapture of eight settlements in rare battlefield success

 

KYIV, Feb 23 (Reuters) - 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 said on Monday.

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 U.S. President Donald Trump - that it is not losing ground in its fight against Russia's invasion, at a time when Washington is pressing Ukraine to agree to a peace deal.

Syrskyi's statement 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.

Ukraine's General Staff did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

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.