As of March 20, Ukrainian military officials reported a total of 81 attacks by Russian forces. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicated that border regions are experiencing ongoing shelling, particularly in Sumy Oblast, where towns such as Vільна Слобода, Prohres, and Koreniok were hit.
In addition to Sumy, the Chernihiv region also faced bombardment, with Mykolaivka being targeted. A guided bomb airstrike was reported in the town of Esman, located in Sumy Oblast.
More than a third of the fighting has occurred along three key fronts: Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka in Donetsk, and Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia. In the Kostiantynivka area, Russian forces launched 12 attacks near Kostiantynivka, Pleshchiyivka, Illinivka, Rusynyi Yar, and Sofiivka.
Ukrainian defense forces successfully repelled 11 assaults in the Pokrovsk direction, particularly around the towns of Rodynske, Bilytske, Myrnohrad, Kotlyne, Udačne, Novomykolaivka, Novopavlivka, and Filia. Two clashes remain unresolved.
In the Huliaipole direction, eight attacks were recorded in areas including Dobropillia, Zaliznychne, Zelenyi, and Luhivske, with airstrikes reported in Hirkove, Huliaipole, and Novoselivka.
Fighting also persisted in the Northern Slobozhansky, Kursk, Southern Slobozhansky, Kupiansk, Sloviansk, Oleksandrivka, Orikhiv, and Dnipro directions.
Earlier this week, Ruslan Habinet, commander of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, stated in an interview that Ukrainian forces continue to maintain control over certain areas of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk. He emphasized that their presence in parts of Pokrovsk and surrounding towns is crucial in preventing the Russian army from advancing towards the highway leading to Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, thereby providing a significant foothold for future operations.
On March 19, General Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that Russia plans to recruit an additional 409,000 troops by 2026, noting an uptick in enemy activity as weather conditions improve.
On March 16, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed success for Russian forces in the Kostiantynivka and Lyman directions, asserting that they control significant portions of Kostiantynivka and Lyman. However, Ukrainian military officials refuted these claims, stating that Russian troops are not present in Lyman, Donetsk Oblast.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War commented on Gerasimov’s statements, suggesting that he continues to exaggerate Russian battlefield gains to create a misleading impression of a collapsing front line across Ukraine.
Ukrainian military officials reported 81 Russian attacks on March 20, with significant fighting occurring in key areas like Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. Despite claims of Russian advances, Ukrainian forces maintain strategic control in several regions.