On February 16, 2023, the Ukrainian General Staff reported a significant escalation in military confrontations, with 182 clashes recorded since the start of the day. The report highlighted a range of aggressive actions by Russian forces, including missile strikes, air assaults, and drone attacks.
According to the General Staff, Russian forces launched a missile attack involving four missiles, conducted 53 airstrikes, and dropped 140 guided bombs. Additionally, they deployed 1,654 kamikaze drones and carried out 1,640 shelling incidents targeting both civilian areas and Ukrainian military positions.
The most intense fighting was reported in two key regions: the Hulyaipole area in Zaporizhzhia and the Pokrovsk direction in Donetsk. In the Pokrovsk region, Russian troops executed 35 attacks, attempting to advance into populated areas such as Rodynske, Chervonyi Lyman, Pokrovsk, and Kotlyne. Ongoing battles were noted in several locations.
In the Hulyaipole direction, Russian forces conducted 37 attacks, focusing on settlements including Dobropillia, Pryliuky, and Hulyaipole. The report indicated that airstrikes targeted areas such as Samiylivka and Novoukrainka, with five clashes currently in progress.
Fighting also continued in other regions, including Northern Slobozhanshchyna, Southern Slobozhanshchyna, Kupiansk, Lyman, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Orikhiv. The intensity of the conflict in these areas has raised concerns about the ongoing humanitarian situation.
On February 12, the monitoring project DeepState reported that the Russian army had made further advances within the city limits of Pokrovsk, with approximately 95% of the area now under occupation. This has made the Pokrovsk direction the most active front in terms of Russian assaults.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi stated on January 22 that Ukrainian defense forces continue to hold back Russian troops in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, where small groups of Russian soldiers are attempting to infiltrate the northern districts of both cities. Syrskyi emphasized that Ukrainian forces have successfully thwarted recent attempts by Russian invaders to capture these urban centers.
Fighting in Pokrovsk has been ongoing since October 2022, when Russian forces managed to breach the city after months of combat on its outskirts. The presence of Russian soldiers was soon confirmed in Myrnohrad, a satellite city of Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian front saw a marked increase in military engagements on February 16, 2023, with significant Russian offensives reported in the Pokrovsk and Hulyaipole regions. Ongoing battles and airstrikes highlight the escalating conflict and its humanitarian implications.