Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian troops have thwarted Russia’s plans to advance in southern Ukraine and carried out a series of counteroffensive actions.
As a result of those counterattacks, roughly 400–435 square kilometers have been brought back under Ukrainian control, Zelensky said during a joint briefing with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, according to the state news agency Ukrinform.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky noted that the new head of the Dutch government visited Kyiv almost immediately after taking office.
“I informed the Prime Minister about the situation on the battlefield, about Russia’s attacks, which do not stop for a single day. We need stable, sustained support every day while the war continues,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky said Ukrainian forces derailed Russia’s plans in the south, preventing advances along the boundary of the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.
“In the south of our country, over the past six weeks we conducted a number of important defensive actions, and in some directions, offensive ones. These actions were solely to disrupt Russia’s plans. We consider them quite successful — we have restored control over about 400–435 square kilometers,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also said Russia is planning a new offensive operation in the spring, with the aim of seizing Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the same time, he stressed that Russian forces cannot achieve that “with the means and forces they currently have — and because of the actions of our Armed Forces.”
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on the morning of March 8 that Russian troops attempted assaults on the Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole axes. In total, Russia launched 12 attacks in those directions — near Verbove, Novohryhorivka, Vorone, Dobropillya, Zaliznychne, Varvarivka, Myrne and Zelene.
Earlier, Zelensky said Russia’s military command is preparing a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, likely targeting Druzhkivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
French outlet Le Monde has reported that the city of Dnipro could be among Russia’s potential targets in the event of a new offensive.
Taras Chmut, a member of the supervisory board of Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency, previously said Ukrainian forces have, for the first time in a long while, been de-occupying more land than Russian troops are seizing.
On February 21, Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the south, said more than 300 square kilometers had been liberated in Zaporizhzhia region.
