As of March 3, Ukrainian military officials reported that Russian forces launched 42 attacks across various fronts. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine detailed that border regions were particularly affected, with towns in Sumy Oblast, including Sukhodil, Wolfine, Esman, Rohizne, and Starykove, sustaining damage.
The majority of assaults were concentrated in three key areas: the Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk directions in Donetsk, and the Huliaipole direction in Zaporizhzhia. In the Kostiantynivka sector, nine offensive actions were recorded near the settlements of Kostiantynivka, Pleshchiyivka, and Sofiivka, with two attacks still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk area, Russian troops attempted to displace Ukrainian forces from their positions nine times, targeting the regions of Rodynske, Pokrovsk, and Udaichne, among others. Two clashes in this sector are continuing. Meanwhile, in the Huliaipole direction, eight attacks were reported near Huliaipole and surrounding areas, with one engagement still in progress. Airstrikes were also launched against several localities, including Vozdvizhivka, Verkhnya Terza, and Kopani.
Fighting has persisted in other regions as well, including the Southern Slobozhansky, Kupiansk, Lyman, Sloviansk, Oleksandrivka, and Orikhiv directions. On March 2, the General Staff announced that Ukrainian forces had liberated nine settlements in the Oleksandrivka direction, with airborne units continuing their offensive operations.
Last week, General Oleksandr Syrskyi noted that since late January, Ukrainian airborne troops and their affiliated units had regained control over 400 square kilometers and eight settlements in the Oleksandrivka area. On February 22, Ukrainian airborne forces confirmed their operations aimed at pushing Russian troops beyond the Dnipropetrovsk region’s borders, disrupting enemy plans for further advances in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia.
In a recent analysis, the American Institute for the Study of War stated that Russian forces have failed to capitalize on their capture of Pokrovsk, which has not been confirmed by the Ukrainian General Staff. The institute emphasized that the slow and costly Russian advance in Pokrovsk does not guarantee further successes in the Donetsk region. They pointed out that Pokrovsk is significantly smaller than fortified cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which form a crucial defensive line for Ukraine.
Analysts concluded that the prolonged and expensive battle for Pokrovsk, coupled with the Russian military’s inability to make significant gains beyond the city, contradicts Kremlin claims of an inevitable capture of the region’s fortified defenses.
Ukrainian forces reported 42 Russian attacks on March 3, focusing on key areas in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Despite ongoing clashes, analysts suggest Russian advances may not be as successful as claimed, particularly in fortified regions.