On March 23, Ukrainian defense forces engaged in 116 combat encounters with Russian troops, according to the latest operational report from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Military officials reported that 13 clashes occurred in the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions. During this period, Russian forces launched 42 strikes on populated areas and Ukrainian positions, including one instance using multiple launch rocket systems.
In the Kupiansk direction, Russian forces attempted to storm Ukrainian positions near Petropavlivka, Borivska Andriivka, Novoplatonivka, and Bohuslavka six times. One of these engagements is still ongoing. Meanwhile, in the Lyman direction, Russian troops made a single attempt to improve their positioning near Dibrova but were unsuccessful.
Defense forces successfully repelled 17 assaults in the Pokrovsk direction, particularly around Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Hryshyne, Pokrovsk, Udalye, and Molodetske, with ongoing combat reported toward Novooleksandrivka and Svitlyi.
Additionally, Russian forces launched 13 attacks in the Huliaipole direction, targeting areas including Olenekostyantynivka, Zaliznychne, Huliaipole, Varvarivka, Zelenyi, Sviatopetrivka, and Myrnyi.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe last week, Ruslan Habinet, commander of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, which operates in the Pokrovsk area, stated that Ukrainian forces maintain control over certain sections of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk. He emphasized that this presence prevents Russian advances, particularly toward the highway leading to Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and provides a crucial foothold for future operations.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi noted on March 19 that Russia plans to recruit an additional 409,000 soldiers by 2026, and an increase in enemy activity has been observed with the improvement of weather conditions.
On March 16, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed successes for Russian forces in the Kostiantynivka and Lyman directions, asserting that they control significant portions of Kostiantynivka and Lyman. However, Ukrainian military officials contradicted this, stating that there are no Russian troops in Lyman, Donetsk region.
The U.S. Institute for the Study of War commented on Gerasimov’s statements, suggesting he continues to exaggerate Russia’s battlefield achievements to create a misleading impression that frontline positions across Ukraine are on the verge of collapse.
Ukrainian forces continue to engage in intense combat with Russian troops across multiple fronts, successfully repelling numerous assaults while maintaining strategic positions. The ongoing conflict sees significant military activity as both sides prepare for future operations.