Russia Claims 5,300 Sq Km, 220 Settlements in Ukraine

September 19, 2026: Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed that Russian forces have taken control of more than 5,300 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory and over 220 settlements since the beginning of 2026, as Moscow says its forces are continuing offensive operations across several strategically important sectors of the front line amid the prolonged war with Ukraine.

In a statement published on Telegram on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had captured more than 670 square kilometers and 27 settlements during September alone, while continuing military operations aimed at establishing what Moscow described as a security zone in the border areas of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The ministry said Russian troops had reduced the territory under Ukrainian control in northeastern Kharkiv by approximately 152 square kilometers since September 5 and had taken nine settlements in the area, while also claiming that Ukrainian forces had suffered around 700 personnel losses. These figures are Russian military claims and have not been independently verified.

The Russian Defense Ministry also reported continued advances in the Zaporizhzhia region, saying Russian forces had captured four settlements since the beginning of September while advancing toward the regional capital along a broad front. According to the ministry, fighting remains ongoing around Orikhiv, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have continued to contest positions as Moscow seeks to maintain pressure across the southern sector of the battlefield.

The ministry identified the approaches to the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk urban area as another major center of fighting, reporting attacks against Ukrainian defensive positions near Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, while also claiming that street fighting was underway in parts of Dobropillia. Russian forces further reported operations around Oskil, Krymky and Studenok, alongside clearing operations in residential areas of Krasnyi Lyman and Sviatohirsk.

The latest claims come as the war continues despite diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 18 that Ukraine was hindering efforts to advance peace talks, while Ukrainian authorities have continued to reject Moscow’s characterization of the conflict and maintain their own account of developments on the battlefield. Reuters reported that U.S.-mediated efforts to end the conflict have remained stalled for months, although diplomatic initiatives have continued.

The battlefield developments are also unfolding amid renewed international pressure on Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a major Russia sanctions bill into law on September 18, targeting Russia’s energy and defense sectors as well as its tanker fleet used to circumvent existing restrictions, while also providing authority for additional tariffs against countries continuing significant economic ties with Russia. Moscow has argued that additional sanctions could make diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement more difficult.

At the same time, the United Nations has continued documenting the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, with a recent UN human rights report recording more than 1,000 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence between February 2022 and July 2026 and attributing the majority of documented cases to Russian forces and authorities, while also recording violations linked to Ukrainian personnel. Russia’s diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately comment on the report.

Ukraine has yet to issue a response to the latest Russian territorial claims, and independent verification of battlefield changes remains difficult because of the intensity of fighting and restricted access to many front-line areas. Consequently, the figures released by Moscow should be regarded as claims from the Russian Defense Ministry rather than independently confirmed measurements of territorial control.