Ukrainian forces have regained control of 26 settlements and liberated 745 square kilometers during an offensive operation in the Oleksandrivskyi sector, according to a statement released by the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Aug. 12, 2026. The claims could not be independently verified. The operation, conducted from January through August by Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Forces and other military units, was aimed at disrupting Russian advances and pushing Russian forces beyond the administrative boundary of the Dnipro region, the statement said. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces suffered at least 9,550 fatalities and more than 6,600 injuries during the operation. They also said the campaign expanded Ukraine’s “exchange fund,” a reference to personnel held for potential prisoner exchanges. The settlements reportedly returned to Ukrainian control include villages in the Dnipro, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, among them Tolstoi, Novokhatske, Hrushivske, Zirka, Zelenyi Hai, Piddubne, Myrne, Novomykolaivka, Oleksandrohrad, Yalta, Ternove, Novoheorhiivka and Zaporizke. Ukrainian forces were continuing operations in the area, according to the presidential office. Post navigation Ukrainian Audio Guides Expand Worldwide Ukraine Expands War Damage Claims