Since the start of the day, Ukrainian forces have engaged in 120 combat encounters, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The most significant clashes have occurred in the Pokrovsk direction, where Russian troops have made 36 attempts to displace Ukrainian defenders from their positions in and around the towns of Rodynske, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Molodetske, Udachne, Muravka, and Filiya, as well as towards Bilitske, Shevchenko, Hryshyne, Serhiivka, and Novopidhorodne. Four of these attacks are currently ongoing.
Fierce fighting continues in the Hulyaipole area, with Ukrainian defenders repelling 25 Russian assaults near Hulyaipole and towards the settlements of Zaliznychne, Staroukrainka, Hirke, Varvarivka, Olenokostyantynivka, Sviatopetrivka, and Charivne. Another battle is still in progress.
In the Kostiantynivka direction, Russian forces have launched 15 offensive actions around Oleksandro-Shultyn and Shcherbynivka, targeting Kostiantynivka, Ivanopillia, Illinivka, Berestok, Stepaniivka, Sofiivka, and Novoplatonivka. One attack remains active.
Combat operations are also ongoing in the Northern Slobozhansky, Kursk, Southern Slobozhansky, Kupiansk, Lyman, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Oleksandrivka directions.
However, no Russian offensive actions have been recorded in the Orikhiv and Dniprovsk directions at this time.
The U.S. Institute for the Study of War reported on February 26 that there has been no evidence of Ukrainian military activity in Pokrovsk since late January, suggesting that Russian forces have taken control of the entire city. Nonetheless, the ISW emphasized that Russian forces have failed to capitalize on this capture to achieve further significant operational successes, indicating that the complete takeover of the Donetsk region is not inevitable.
Recent reports from Radio Liberty’s Donbas Realities project suggest that the Russian army may be preparing for a major new offensive this spring and summer, likely targeting the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration and/or the Orikhiv-Zaporizhzhia area. Analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets noted that this could represent a final push for Russia on the front, given its dwindling resources and escalating economic issues domestically.
By the end of winter, Ukrainian defense forces managed to thwart this Russian plan by initiating counteroffensive actions at the intersection of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, pushing the aggressor back from Pokrovsk and further east from Orikhiv. Reports from pro-Russian social media indicate that the Ukrainian advance continues.
On February 23, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that in the Oleksandrivka direction, since late January, airborne troops and adjacent units have regained control over 400 square kilometers of territory and eight settlements.
Ukrainian forces are facing intense combat across multiple fronts, with significant clashes reported in the Pokrovsk and Hulyaipole areas. The situation remains dynamic as both sides engage in ongoing battles, with recent reports indicating Ukrainian counteroffensive actions are making headway.