Commander-in-Chief and Defense Minister of Ukraine visit frontline command posts at front

"We heard from the commanders of the troops about the situation in the areas of responsibility. The situation is difficult in many directions and requires constant monitoring. The enemy is carrying out regular assaults on our troops positions," Syrskyi writes.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with the commanders, the situation was thoroughly analyzed, and future steps were discussed, including the potential of maneuverable and positional defense, as well as strengthening certain areas.

Photo: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine (t.me/osirsky)

Syrskyi emphasized the importance of coordination and proper operational cooperation of all Defense Forces, preserving the lives of our servicemen and women.

"We talked to brigade and battalion commanders about the state of affairs. We analyzed problems that are not systemic. Urgent decisions were made to improve combat readiness, resilience, and management. Despite the difficult situation, our soldiers bravely hold the lines and positions. The enemy is suffering irreparable losses," added the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU.

The situation on the front

The General Staff of the AFU reported that during the last day:

• the enemy attempted to break through the defense of our troops 39 times in the Maryinka direction;

• Russian forces attacked 13 times in the Bakhmut direction;
• our defenders repelled 14 enemy attacks in the Avdiivka direction.

As of February 20, according to Deep State data, after capturing the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, Russian aggressors advanced westward and approached the village of Lastochkine.

For more details on why the AFU is forced to fight defensively and what is needed for a breakthrough - in the material by RBC-Ukraine.