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Defense forces of Ukraine have regained control of 26 settlements in three regions

Duration: 4:34 581 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Between January 29th and August 2026, Ukrainian defense forces successfully liberated twenty-six settlements across three regions within the Oleksandrivsk sector, a significant achievement reported directly to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. The operation was conducted in two distinct phases; during the first phase, defenders reclaimed approximately 450 square kilometers of territory, while the second phase, which commenced on May 5th and continued into August, saw forces liberate an additional 490 square kilometers. This concerted effort resulted in a total recovery of over 745 square kilometers, effectively pushing back enemy lines that had previously penetrated deep into Ukraine's rear zones by up to 300 kilometers before being systematically searched for and destroyed. The specific locations reclaimed include twenty-six populated areas spread across the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, with twelve settlements freed during the second stage alone—eight in Dnipropetrovsk and four in Zaporizhzhia. President Zelenskyy publicly acknowledged these victories by listing the names of the liberated towns, such as Berezove, Blahovishchenka, Hrushivske, Oleksandrivka, and many others, crediting the proactive efforts of airborne assault brigades, regiments, and other involved units for restoring control. In addition to these major gains over several months, recent reports indicate that airborne forces alone regained approximately 15 square kilometers in just one week, demonstrating a sustained momentum as Ukraine prepares for new operational steps following weeks of Russian territorial advances. Beyond the immediate battlefield successes on fronts including Kharkiv and Kostyantynivka, where Ukrainian troops have slowed or halted Russian advances near Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka, strategic innovations played a crucial role in these victories. The Institute for the Study of War noted that Ukraine's counteroffensive leveraged a critical disruption to Russian command and control: specifically, blocking access to Starlink satellite internet systems. Since early February, Ukrainian authorities have worked with SpaceX to prevent Moscow from using unauthorized Starlink terminals on attack drones to bypass electronic defenses; despite SpaceX's stance against selling equipment to Russia, evidence showed that hundreds of such devices were being used by Russian operators to strike deeper into Ukraine and evade GPS jamming signals. In response to this intelligence, Ukrainian officials launched a comprehensive verification process for all Starlink terminals within the country to identify and neutralize unauthorized usage while SpaceX implemented necessary measures on its end. This technological advantage has allowed Kyiv's forces not only to wipe out weeks of Russian gains in southeastern Ukraine but also to regain control over territory in northeastern regions as well. The combination of aggressive ground operations targeting enemy positions deep behind their lines and the strategic denial of advanced communication tools for Russian drones marks a turning point, enabling Ukrainian defenders to reclaim significant swathes of land and restore stability to multiple sectors previously under threat or occupation.

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From January 29th to August 2026, the defense forces liberated 26 settlements in the Oleksandrivsk sector. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi reported this to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the Commander-in-Chief, during the first phase of this operation, Ukrainian defenders liberated approximately 450 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. And during the second phase, which began on May 5th and is still ongoing as of August, the defense forces liberated or regained control over 490 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. >> [music] >> In the second stage, 12 settlements were liberated, eight in the Dnipropetrovsk region and four in the Zaporizhzhia region. The enemy, who had penetrated another 300 kilometers into the rear zone, was searched for and destroyed. Drapatyi added. He also stated that, overall, during the two stages of the Ukrainian offensive campaign, Ukrainian defenders had liberated or regained control over 745 square kilometers. A total of 26 populated areas in our country have been liberated and control restored. Over the past week, airborne assault forces, comprising four brigades and two assault regiments, have regained control of approximately 15 square kilometers of our territory. Drapatyi noted. Volodymyr Zelenskyy later announced the names of the settlements liberated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Berezove, Blahovishchenka, Hrushivske, Zaporizhzhia, Zelenyi Hai, Zirka, Zahorodda, Kalynivske, Krasnohorivka, Maliivka, Myrnyi, Novoheorhiivka, Novohryhorivka, Novomykolaivka, Novopetrivka, Oleksandrivka, Potapivka, Pryvillia, Pryvil'noye, Rybnoye, Syhnal'noye, Stepnoye, Ternuvate, Tolstoye, Sedel'nykove, and Yel'ta. 26 settlements across three regions have been liberated thanks to the proactive efforts of our soldiers. Ukrainian airborne assault troops, assault units, and other involved units. Thank you for the results, soldiers. We continue our proactive efforts and are preparing for new steps, the head of state wrote. Recently, Mykhailo Drozdov said he had been tasked with stepping up counteroffensive actions and launching new operations inside Russia. Ukrainian forces are ramping up the pace and the scale of Kyiv's counteroffensive after they have managed to wipe out weeks of Russia's gains and liberated multiple small settlements in southeastern Ukraine in the region of Zaporizhzhia. According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank, the main Ukrainian advance has been recorded roughly 80 km east of Zaporizhzhia city, where Russian forces have been making gains since the summer of 2025. Ukrainian forces have also regained control of territory in northeastern and eastern Ukraine on the Kharkiv, Kostyantynivka, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka fronts. Kyiv troops started slowing down Russian troops about a week ago and in many areas largely stopped their advance. The ISW stated that the Ukrainian counterattacks are likely leveraging the recent block on Russian forces access to Starlink. From the beginning of February, Ukraine's Defense Ministry and Elon Musk's SpaceX [music] have blocked Russian troops from using Starlink to operate and control attack drones over Ukraine. Despite numerous statements from SpaceX that the company does not sell or ship Starlink to Russia and does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military. Ukrainian authorities informed the company that Moscow troops had been mounting Starlink systems on Russian attack drones to strike deeper into Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said they collected evidence of hundred of attacks by Starlink equipped drones. This allowed Russian operators to bypass Ukraine's electronic defenses that disable drones by jamming GPS and radio signals. While SpaceX took necessary measures from its side, Ukraine also launched a verification of all Starlink terminals in the country in response to the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russian forces. >> [music]