Over the three winter months, Russia lost more than 92,000 troops killed and wounded, while Ukraine, for the first time in a long period, regained more territory than it lost - a hard-fought “battle for winter” that Ukraine endured, according to Kyiv’s top commander.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine withstood the winter campaign and inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces. His statement was posted on his Facebook page.
Syrskyi said Russia’s total losses over the three winter months amounted to about 92,850 troops killed or wounded — an average of 1,031 a day — the price Moscow paid for attempts to break through the front during the cold season.
“We held firm in this difficult ‘battle for winter.’ We hold the line,” Syrskyi said, thanking Ukrainians for their resilience and support for the military.
Syrskyi also pointed to significant losses in tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, aircraft and drones. He said Russia additionally lost one ship, one submarine and nearly 12,000 vehicles. But above all, he emphasized, was the ongoing attrition of Russian manpower.
According to the commander, more Russian troops were eliminated over the three months than Moscow managed to recruit in the same period.
In February 2026, for the first time since the Kursk offensive, Ukraine’s Defense Forces regained control of more territory than Russia managed to seize.
Ukrainian units are conducting active and effective operations along the Oleksandivka and Hulyaipole axes. Despite regular claims from Russia’s leadership of “advances,” the AFU is tightening control over Kupiansk and reducing the presence of Russian sabotage groups in the city.
