Huliaipole and Pokrovsk directions remain the hottest on the front – General Staff
From the start of the day until the evening of 17 February 2026, 53 combat engagements were recorded along the entire front line.
This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.
The highest intensity of enemy offensive actions is observed on the Huliaipole direction, where the Defence Forces have already repelled 16 attacks in the areas of Huliaipole, Solodke, and towards Zaliznychne. The situation remains equally difficult on the Pokrovsk direction, where the occupiers attempted 11 breakthroughs near Nikanorivka, Rodynske, Kotlyne, and Filiia, but most of these assaults were successfully stopped by our defenders.
In the north of the country, the aggressor continues to terrorise the border regions of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts with artillery fire launched directly from Russian territory. Areas affected include Zarichchia, Ryzhivka, Kucherivka, and several other settlements. Meanwhile, on the Kursk direction, the Defence Forces continue active operations, recording over 50 strikes on enemy positions in a single day. On the Kostiantynivka direction, the enemy also shows significant activity, launching 10 attacks near Pleshchiivka and Shcherbynivka.
Overall, the operational situation is characterised by attempts by the enemy to apply pressure on several sectors simultaneously, taking advantage of air power. Guided bombs were specifically used on the Oleksandrivka and Orikhiv directions. Despite the constant pressure, the Ukrainian Defence Forces hold their lines and inflict substantial losses on the enemy in both personnel and equipment. Over the past day, the total enemy losses amounted to approximately 890 personnel and 16 tanks.
Meanwhile, the Russians have advanced near Platonivka and Myrnohrad.
Over the past week, the Russian army has captured only 36 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This is the lowest figure since April last year, according to data from the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState.
