Russian Forces Gain 695 Square Miles Since September 1: General Staff Chief
22:30 16.10.2026 (Updated: 22:37 16.10.2026)
© Sputnik / Viktor Tolochko
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Russian forces have taken control of more than 1,800 square kilometers (695 square miles) of territory and 92 settlements since September 1, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said on Friday.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at an auxiliary command post of the joint group of forces, where Gerasimov delivered a report.
"Since September 1, military formations and units have taken control of over 1,800 square kilometers of territory and 92 settlements. The primary efforts of the joint group of forces are focused on the liberation of the territory of Donbass [Donbas], where the Tsentr [Center], Yug [South], and Zapad [West] troop groupings are conducting an offensive along a broad front," Gerasimov said.
Russian retaliatory strikes destroyed 203 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities and 93 ships carrying military cargo, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
"As a result of the strikes, 76 logistics and warehouse centers, 203 port infrastructure facilities, and 93 ships delivering military cargo to Ukraine were damaged," Gerasimov said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the auxiliary command post of Russia's Joint Forces Group.
The Russian forces are striking Ukrainian port infrastructure, halting its operations on the Black Sea, Gerasimov said, adding that Russia also strikes strategic bridges in Ukraine according to plan.
Taking control of the Zaporozhye (also known as Zaporizhzhia) region is proceeding according to plan, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at an auxiliary command post for the Joint Group of Forces.
"The liberation of the Zaporozhye region is being carried out according to plan. The Dnepr and Vostok [East] battlegroups are firmly maintaining the initiative, advancing with their adjacent flanks along a broad front in the direction of Zaporozhye," Gerasimov said during a report to the president.
Russian forces took control of the settlements of Novopavlovka (Novopavlivka) and Novoandreevka (Novoandriivka) in the region, the chief of the general staff added.
In addition, Russia's Tsentr (Center) battlegroup took control of the settlement of Dobropolye (Dobropillya) in the Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipropetrovsk) direction, Gerasimov said.
Over the past three days, the settlement of Sergeyevka has come under the control of the Russian military as well, the official continued, adding that the troops also took control of the settlement of Alekseevo-Druzhkovka (Oleksijevo-Druzhkivka) in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Russian units are also advancing in Nikolaevka (Mykolaivka), a suburb of Slavyansk (Sloviansk), where more than 50% of the territory is under Russia's control, Gerasimov said.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 3,500 personnel in the fall in Krasnyi Lyman direction, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the auxiliary command post of the Joint Forces Group. The president asked Gerasimov to report on the situation in the special military operation zone.
"In this direction alone in the summer and autumn period, the armed forces of Ukraine lost more than 3,500 personnel, the most trained and capable formations of Ukrainian units, have been killed and seriously wounded," Gerasimov said during the meeting.
The Russian armed forces have begun strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the auxiliary command post of the Joint Forces Group. The president asked Gerasimov to report on the situation in the special military operation zone.
"The Russian armed forces have begun delivering massive strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure," Gerasimov told Putin.
Gerasimov noted that a list of Ukraine’s energy facilities has been identified, along with the necessary set of means to destroy them.
The Russian armed forces shot down more than 15,000 air targets in September alone, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
"While in January of this year our air defense forces were intercepting an average of about 120 enemy unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles per day over Russian regions, by September this figure had increased more than fivefold. In September alone, over 15,000 aerial targets were shot down, an average of more than 500 per day," Gerasimov said in a report to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian forces are improving the country's air defense system, introducing new means of detection and destruction, Gerasimov said, adding that the military had shot down 1,398 attack drones and 8 cruise missiles during the elections to Russia's State Duma on September 18-20.
"Despite an increase in the scale and number of strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure, our air defense forces are successfully destroying over 98% of the enemy's drones on a daily basis," Gerasimov said.
Russia's strikes destroyed cruise missile production equipment in Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipropetrovsk), Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Valery Gerasimov said.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the auxiliary command post of the Joint Forces Group. The president asked Gerasimov to report on the situation in the special military operation zone.
"On October 7, a massive blow was inflicted on enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine involved in the production and storage of Flamingo cruise missiles and unmanned electronic devices of long and medium range Fire Point. As a result of direct hits, assembly, testing and assembly shops, as well as specialized equipment, finished products and components for the production of cruise missiles and drones ... in Dnepropetrovsk were destroyed," Gerasimov said.
Russian forces prioritizing strikes on production and deployment sites for UAVs and Ukrainian missiles, the official said, adding that strikes on infrastructure of Ukraine continued according to plan.
"As of today, it can be stated that steel production in Ukraine has been stopped. As a result of air strikes, nine enterprises of Ukrainian metallurgy were damaged," Gerasimov said.
Russian Forces launched 12 mass strikes against Ukraine, hitting 30 enterprises and 14 fuel and energy complex facilities in September-October time, Gerasimov explained.
