The General Staff reported 40 combat engagements since the start of the day
Since the beginning of 23 February 2026, Ukraine’s Defence Forces have been involved in 40 combat engagements with the Russian army, according to an operational update from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 16:00.
The most intense fighting continues on the Pokrovsk direction, where Russian forces made 13 attempts to push back Ukrainian units in the areas of Rodynske, Pokrovsk, Udachne, and towards the settlement of Shevchenko. Meanwhile, the border regions of Chernihiv region and Sumy region came under heavy artillery fire directly from Russian territory.
Beyond Pokrovsk, a significant number of attacks were recorded on the Kostyantynivka and Huliaipole directions, where the occupiers deployed infantry supported by aviation. Near Huliaipole, Ukrainian defenders repelled eight assaults, while fierce fighting continues near Shcherbynivka and Ivanopillia. On the Lyman direction, five attacks were successfully stopped in the area of Drobysheve and towards Lyman. The enemy also actively uses aviation, dropping guided bombs on civilian infrastructure in Orikhiv and settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
On other sections of the front, including the Sloviansk and Prydniprovske directions, no offensive actions by the occupiers have been recorded so far, though artillery fire remains intense. The General Staff notes that Ukrainian troops continue to hold the line and inflict significant losses on the enemy in both personnel and equipment. Despite constant pressure, there have been no major changes in the positions of Ukrainian Defence Forces units.
Russian forces once again attempted to spread a fake about the capture of Ternuvate in the Zaporizhzhia region, but Ukrainian troops refuted these claims.
Ukraine also destroyed relay transmitters used for “Shahed” drones in Belarus.
