WW3 Map Updates Show Ukraine Retook More Territory This Fall Than Russia Captured
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces have liberated more territory than Russian troops have captured this fall, with updates on the ww3 map reflecting gains under Operation Vivaldi alongside ongoing strikes on energy infrastructure and diplomatic efforts on civilian evacuations from occupied areas.
Territorial Developments on the Front
Ukrainian forces have recaptured more territory than Russian forces have seized this fall, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an Oct. 18 post on social media. [4] "We are seeing results on the front," Zelensky said, in his evening video message. [4] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are destroying Russian attempts to launch assaults in Dobropillia, a city in the Donetsk region, while defending their positions in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, he highlighted, adding that the "front is strong." [4] "The trend this year continues," Zelensky said, "Since the start of fall, our warriors have liberated more territory than the Russians have managed to capture. The same was true at other points this year." [4] Under Operation Vivaldi Ukrainian forces have made advances as they pushed into occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast. [4] Ukraine's Third Army Corps unveiled on Oct. 14, that it had retaken another 101 square kilometers in the Lyman sector in Donetsk Oblast. [4] In total, Operation Vivaldi saw the liberation and return of 16 settlements and 277 square kilometers to Ukraine, corps commander Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi said in a recent announcement. [4] At the same time, Russian high-ranking military officials continue to present "greatly exaggerated claims of Russian frontline advances that do not correspond to battlefield realities" according to an Oct. 17 post on social media sharing findings from a report published by the Institute for the Study of War, an independent conflict monitor based in the U.S. [4] Russian forces have lost on average seven kilometers daily thus far in October 2026, the ISW reports, contrary to Putin’s false claim of continued Russian advances. [4] According to the ISW, the Russian forces make these false claims to present a narrative of military success, "such that Ukraine and its Western partners should capitulate to Russia’s negotiation demands." [4] These developments appear on the ww3 map as Ukrainian positions strengthen in key sectors.
First Aerial Drone Evacuation of Wounded Soldier
Soldiers from the Unmanned Ground Systems Company of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, together with other units, have evacuated a wounded infantryman from the front line using a heavy hexacopter made by Ukrainian manufacturer Gurzuf Defence. [1] The company noted that this is the world's first evacuation of a wounded soldier using an aerial drone. [1] The military did not disclose the date and location of the operation. [1] "An infantryman from the 30th Separate Mechanised Brigade was wounded while at his position. Due to high enemy drone activity and mined terrain, evacuating him using already traditional unmanned ground systems was impossible." [1] As the company explained, the military decided to use an aerial drone for the evacuation. [1] For this purpose, they chose a heavy hexacopter by Ukrainian company Gurzuf Defence, which the manufacturer provided free of charge. [1] "Our experts, in close cooperation with the manufacturer, implemented technical solutions thanks to which the heavy bomber was able to carry out the evacuation while maintaining stability in the air, without overturning or excessive swaying. They also conducted preliminary tests at sites provided by Gurzuf Defence and, together with adjacent units, planned the mission." [1] The company also reported that the drone was piloted by a UAV operator from the 30th Separate Mechanised Brigade. [1] "The operation ended successfully – the wounded man was rescued! He is currently undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, and his life is no longer in danger." [1] The company stated that the 30th and 14th Separate Mechanised Brigades, the 10th Army Corps and Gurzuf Defence also took part in the evacuation. [1]
Ukrainian and Russian officials coordinate civilian evacuation details from Oleshky and nearby villages. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Negotiations for Civilian Evacuation from Oleshky
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, has said that Ukraine and Russia are moving towards agreeing the final details of the evacuation of civilians from the occupied Oleshky area to Ukrainian government-controlled territory. [2] Lubinets said the Russian side had taken into consideration all the proposals previously put forward by Ukraine concerning the evacuation. [2] "We are now moving towards agreeing the final details on ensuring a ceasefire and evacuating everyone who wishes to leave, not just from Oleshky elsewhere, but directly to territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. There are still some difficult issues, so to speak, but I hope that in the near future we will all see results from these negotiations." [2] Lubinets said the evacuation would cover Oleshky and six other nearby settlements. [2] The Ukrainian side estimates that around 6,000 civilians may remain there, including up to 200 children. [2] Up to 2,000 people are believed to remain in Oleshky itself. [2] The ombudsman stressed that negotiations with the Russian side were taking place every day. [2] "I can't disclose many details, but I can say that, in my view, we have made as much progress as possible," Lubinets added. [2] On 19 September, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations also said that Oleshky was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. [2] On the night of 3-4 October, National Guard troops carried out a second operation to deliver humanitarian aid to occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. [2] Nearly four tonnes of supplies were delivered to the town using drones. [2] On 16 October, Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and asked him to arrange a ceasefire to allow aid to be delivered to temporarily occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. [2]
Mutual Strikes on Energy and Infrastructure Targets
Zelensky accused Russia of breaking Trump's "energy ceasefire" 76 times and warning Moscow planned to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity before winter. [3] Russian strikes left "tens of thousands" without power in several regions, he said, with Ukrainian officials reporting three people had been killed. [3] Ukraine's army launched drones at Putin's hometown of Saint Petersburg late Sunday, setting an oil refinery ablaze and killing one person, Moscow said. [3] Rising smoke was visible from Saint Petersburg's historic city centre on the banks of the Neva River, with Russia saying Ukraine struck an oil refinery and depot. [3] Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five hospitalised in the city. [3] Authorities were fighting fires at the Saint Petersburg oil terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses, he said. [3] Russia's VKontakte social network said its data centre was hit and Ozon -- Russia's second largest retailer -- also reported a strike on its logistics centre. [3] The head of the wider Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, said air defence shot down 144 Ukrainian drones, with state media saying this was the largest attack on the city since the start of the war. [3] Ukrainian drones conducted the largest attack on Saint Petersburg since the war began, striking an oil refinery, terminal, depot, VKontakte data center and other sites. [5] Drones FP-1 of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit oil and digital infrastructure facilities in Saint Petersburg during the past night, including the oil terminal and Ruchyi oil depot. [5] The company producing FP-1 drones, which have a range of up to 1,600 kilometers, reported that the data center of VKontakte near Saint Petersburg was also hit. [5] The attack also hit a facility in the Novosergievka settlement in the Leningrad region, which is one of the key data centers of VKontakte. [5] Saint Petersburg oil terminal is one of the largest oil transshipment complexes in the region. [5] Fires broke out on the territory of the oil terminal and oil depot, and serious damage was reported to the data center. [5] Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that 126 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down over the region. [5] Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five were injured and hospitalized as a result of the massive attack by unmanned military vehicles. [5] Twelve residential buildings and two private houses were damaged. [5] Firefighters continue to extinguish fires at the oil terminal in Saint Petersburg, the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses in the Kolpinsky district. [5]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during an address on territorial gains this fall. — Source: kyivindependent
Diplomatic Exchanges with US Envoys
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with top US envoys Sunday to try to ease tensions, as Donald Trump accused his counterpart of not wanting to end the war with Russia. [3] Zelensky spoke to US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as both Russia and Ukraine hit each other's energy sites. [3] Trump and Zelensky have clashed as the US president blocked new sanctions on Russia and struck a diesel deal with Moscow. [3] On Sunday Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was in the process of negotiating a peace between Russia and Ukraine and making "great progress," but claimed: "Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did." [3] "Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States," Trump said. [3] Earlier, after speaking to Trump's business partner Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner, Zelensky said "a lot depends" on the US position in the war but that "it is clear that there are many things that matter to all of us and that this war must be brought to an end." [3] Ukraine was ready to work "constructively" and "honestly", he said. [3] "We expect exactly this approach from all our partners -- both from the Europeans and, of course, from the American side." [3] He said he discussed deliveries of US Patriot air defence systems, as Kyiv struggles to counter Russian missiles. [3] Zelensky earlier told US broadcaster NBC it would be a "historic mistake" if Washington formally supported Russia and that he hoped Trump would "change his decisions." [3] But he also said he was "thankful" the US resumed intelligence sharing after a pause that left his country vulnerable to Russian missile strikes. [3] Zelensky accused Russia of violating Trump's announced energy ceasefire 76 times by striking Ukrainian energy sites. [5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not want negotiations on ending the conflict and has obstructed them several times. [5] "We have only one conclusion, Zelensky does not want negotiations. He has already obstructed them several times, including after December 2019, when a meeting was held in Paris," Lavrov said at a press conference. [5] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia continues to carry out retaliatory strikes to reduce the offensive potential of Ukrainian forces. [5] "Currently, constant strikes are being carried out. They are systematic and massive. These strikes are aimed at reducing the strike potential of the Kyiv regime, which gives results," Peskov told reporters. [5]
Humanitarian and Broader Context
The Ukrainian side estimates that around 6,000 civilians may remain in Oleshky and six nearby settlements, including up to 200 children, with up to 2,000 people believed to remain in Oleshky itself. [2] On 19 September, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations also said that Oleshky was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. [2] On the night of 3-4 October, National Guard troops carried out a second operation to deliver humanitarian aid to occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, with nearly four tonnes of supplies delivered using drones. [2] On 16 October, Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and asked him to arrange a ceasefire to allow aid to be delivered to temporarily occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. [2] Zelensky accused Russia of breaking Trump's "energy ceasefire" 76 times. [3] Russian strikes left "tens of thousands" without power in several regions, with Ukrainian officials reporting three people had been killed. [3] The Kremlin said Ukrainian attacks on its cities will not change its war aims. [3] Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine. [3] "There's a general feeling: they're attacking, we're attacking -- it's become the dreadful routine of war," 58-year-old Galina told AFP in Saint Petersburg. [3] Sergei, another Saint Petersburg resident who is also 58, said he felt his apartment block shake and quickly realised it was a drone attack. [3] "I don't know if I was scared, what must be will be," he said. [3] Ukrainian strikes caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia earlier this year. [3] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Zelensky does not want negotiations. [5] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said attempts by Kyiv to attack Russian regions with drones will not change the course of events. [5] "We see the last signs of agony. The Kyiv regime is resisting, but it cannot change the course of events," Peskov concluded. [5]
What to watch next: Ukraine and Russia continue finalizing details for the evacuation of civilians from occupied Oleshky and six nearby settlements, with up to 6,000 civilians including 200 children possibly remaining, while Zelensky discusses Patriot systems with US officials and accuses Russia of 76 violations of the energy ceasefire.
