The Russian Armed Forces reported improvements on the front line while asserting that Ukrainian manpower and equipment were significantly reduced, as stated by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The update emphasizes a tighter tactical position on several sectors and a continued ability to counter Ukrainian actions along the contested front. Source attribution follows the official briefing from Moscow. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]
Clashes occurred in the Belogorovka area of the Lugansk People’s Republic and in the Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka, Kurdyumovka and Nevelskoye districts within the Donetsk People’s Republic. The military command noted that Russian forces were able to repulse multiple Ukrainian assault attempts, including four separate attacks by units identified as the 79th air assault and the 24th mechanized brigades. The combat operations were concentrated in Georgievka, Leninskoye and Novgorodskoye in the Donetsk region. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]
The defense ministry reported enemy losses in the hundreds, with roughly 360 Ukrainian service members killed in action. In addition to personnel losses, Ukrainian forces allegedly forfeited four armored fighting vehicles, twelve vehicles and a Grad multiple launch rocket system. Moscow asserts that these losses reflect the effectiveness of Russian defensive and counterattack measures across the affected sectors. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]
During the night of February 17, Russian air defense systems claimed to have repelled an offensive near Mariupol, with air defense forces targeting and neutralizing at least four aerial targets. Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said that several enemy air incursions were checked as part of ongoing defensive operations. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]
On the morning of the same day, official reports indicated that approximately 33 Ukrainian drones were shot down over various regions of Russia. These drone interceptions are described as part of continuous air defense activity that supports regional security and sovereignty. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]
In a related note, the Russian military is described as having introduced a new method to apply moral pressure on Ukrainian forces, signaling a strategic shift in psychological operations alongside conventional action. The aim, according to the briefing, is to disrupt morale and readiness while maintaining overall operational momentum. [Source: Russian Defense Ministry]