- On 06 February 2026, the Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), General Syrskyi, confirmed Ukraine had initiated a counterattack near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Since the start of this counterattack, Ukraine has taken over 100 sq km of territory, mostly to the north of Huliaipole. In addition, Ukrainian forces also made limited gains to the north of this sector, most notably in the vicinity of Verbove, 14 km southeast of Pokrovske.
- It is likely these efforts have disrupted Russian momentum and delayed Russian offensive operations towards Orikhiv city from the east. Orikhiv is an important fortified logistics hub, underpinning the defence of central Zaporizhzhia.
- Further north, Ukrainian forces maintain control of the city of Kupiansk, a former rail logistics hub in Kharkiv oblast, securing the boundaries to mitigate against continued Russian infiltration attempts. Limited numbers of Russian infiltrators are reported to remain in the city, occupying high rise buildings. Ukrainian forces commenced their counter-attack in the northwest quadrant of Kupiansk in mid-December 2025.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 February 2026.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 20, 2026
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