As of April 26, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 161 combat encounters since the start of the day, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The report indicated that Russian forces conducted 54 airstrikes, deploying 168 guided bombs. Additionally, they utilized 3,401 kamikaze drones and carried out 1,902 shelling attacks on populated areas and Ukrainian military positions.
Nearly half of the combat incidents occurred in three key areas: Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in Donetsk, and Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia. The Defense Forces repelled 15 enemy assaults in the Kostiantynivka direction, targeting areas including Kostiantynivka, Pleshchiivka, Illinivka, Ivanopillia, Oleksandro-Shultine, Sofiivka, Kucherovyi Yar, and Rusynyi Yar. Three of these engagements are ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces launched 39 attacks, attempting to advance in the vicinity of Nikanorivka, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Novooleksandrivka, Hryshyne, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novopidhirodne, Muravka, Molodetske, and Filia. Four of these assaults are still in progress.
The Huliaipole area witnessed 24 attacks directed at populated localities including Dobropillia, Zaliznychne, Varvarivka, Charivne, Pryliuky, Staroukrainka, Hirke, Vozdvizhivka, and Sviatopetrivka, with three attacks currently ongoing.
Fighting also continued across several other fronts, including the Northern Slobozhansky, Kursk, Southern Slobozhansky, Kupiansk, Lyman, Oleksandrivka, Orikhiv, and Dniprovsk directions.
On April 15, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted that the Russian military had intensified its offensive actions with the change in weather, conducting operations along the 1,200-kilometer frontline. The most active areas during March were reported to be Oleksandrivka, Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Lyman.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on April 23 that the situation at the front was particularly significant, indicating that the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were more stable than in previous months and years. However, he also pointed out that Russia continues to prepare for air attacks on Ukraine.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) previously stated that the realities on the battlefield as of late March 2026 suggest that substantial Russian gains, let alone a complete victory, are not inevitable.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces reported significant combat activity on April 26, with 161 clashes and intensified attacks from Russian forces. Key areas of conflict include Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, as both sides continue to engage in ongoing military operations.