Russia's war on Ukraine. 20.02.25
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked near Sverdlivkovo, Pogrebki, and Guevo, attempting to advance near Lebedevka and in areas along the Loknia River.
The "Siversk" Operational-Tactical Group (OTG) counterattacked near Sverdlivkovo. Units of the State Border Guard Service repelled attempts by enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups to cross the international border in the Nikolaevo-Daryino – Zhuravka direction.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked near Vovchansk, attempting to advance towards the southern bank of the Vovcha River.
Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked and advanced in the center of Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked near Holubivka, towards Mala Shapkivka, Petropavlivka, and near Pishchane. They attempted to advance in the center of Topoli, north of the village, north of Novomlynsk, and near Holubivka. The enemy advanced near Zahryzove, Lozova, and in the areas of Kopanky and Makiivka. The enemy captured Zelenyi Hai.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Topoli.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces attacked near Nevske, Yampolivka, Kolodyazi, and the Serebriansk Forest, attempting to advance southeast of Novolyubivka.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces attacked near Hryhorivka, Bilohorivka, and Verkhnyokamianske, advancing north of Mykolaivka and near Bilohorivka.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Chasiv Yar, Vasyukivka, and in the direction of Oleksandro-Shultyne.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Toretsk, Ozaryanivka, Dyliivka, Krymske, Leonidivka, and Shcherbynivka, attempting to advance north of Druzhba, into Novospaske, and west of Leonidivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces counterattacked near Krymske, advancing in eastern Shcherbynivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces attacked near Vodyane Druhe, Zelene Pole, Malynivka, Tarasivka, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Novotoretske, Promin, Lysivka, Novoukrainka, Pishchane, Kotlyne, Udachne, Uspenivka, Novooleksandrivka, Kotlyarivka, Preobrazhenka, and Zaporizhzhia. The enemy advanced north of Nadiivka and attempted to advance near Myrne, Novolyubivka, and Berezivka.
Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully counterattacked near Dachenske, south of Zaporizhzhia, Preobrazhenka, Tarasivka, and Yelyzavetivka.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces attacked near Konstyantynopil, Andriivka, Ulakly, in the direction of Oleksiivka, and in the Rozdolne area. They advanced southeast of Konstyantynopil and attempted to advance northwest of Andriivka and south of Rozlyv.
The 33rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of Ukrainian Defense Forces withdrew from the Andriivka–Konstyantynopil–Ulakly area and avoided encirclement. The 46th Separate Mechanized Brigade also successfully withdrew. The actions of the 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which was covering the withdrawal, were less successful in the Andriivka area. The withdrawal of forces from the remnants of the Kurakhove bridgehead continues.
On the Huliaypole direction, Russian forces attacked towards Burlatske and Pryvilne, near Novosilka and Novopil, advancing to the southeastern outskirts of Novoocheretuvate. They attempted to advance southeast of Pryvilne and east of Novosilka, engaging in battles for Novoocheretuvate and Novosilka.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces launched unsuccessful assaults near Mali Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka, and Stepove.
Ukrainian Defense Forces struck positions of the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Army near Chumatske.
General conclusion:
The intensity of battles on the Toretsk direction has significantly increased, and the geography of combat has expanded.
On the Novopavlivka direction, enemy artillery is shifting from massive fire raids using hundreds of thousands of shells to increased shooting accuracy and significant reduction in ammunition expenditure.
The withdrawal of Ukrainian Defense Forces units from the remnants of the Kurakhove bridgehead continues.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 106 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kharkiv direction, the enemy attempted to break through defensive lines towards Vovchansk and Zapadne five times but was repelled.
On the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled three enemy attacks in the areas of Petropavlivka and Zahryzove.
On the Lyman direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 12 enemy attacks near Balka Zhuravka, Yampolivka, Kolodyazi, Makiivka, and towards Hryhorivka.
On the Siversk direction, the enemy attempted an offensive near Verkhnyokamianske.
On the Kramatorsk direction, three enemy assault attempts were repelled near Chasiv Yar and Vasyukivka.
On the Toretsk direction, the occupiers launched 13 attacks against Ukrainian Defense Forces positions in the areas of Ozaryanivka, Toretsk, and Leonidivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy is intensively attacking, launching 26 assaults. The highest enemy activity remains in the areas of Zelene Pole, Vodyane Druhe, Yelyzavetivka, Novotoretske, Promin, Kotlyne, Nadiivka, Andriivka, and Ulakly.
On the Novopavlivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 13 attacks in the directions of Konstyantynopil, Rozdolne, Novyi Komar, and Pryvilne.
On the Orikhiv Direction, Russian forces launched nine attacks towards Novoandriivka and in the areas of Mali Shcherbaky and Stepove.
On the Kursk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 11 enemy assaults.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Black Sea: 1 ship, including 1 cruise missile carrier; the total salvo is 4 cruise missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 4 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 26 cruise missiles.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 24th Separate SOF Brigade operates in Toretsk. The 9th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army is active near Novospaske.
Possible operation situation developments:
Once the enemy sufficiently expands its bridgeheads on the Chornyi Zherebets River, the 25th Army, with forces of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division and the 164th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, will sharply intensify actions toward Torske and Yampolivka. This will mark the second stage of pushing "Khortytsia" OSG out of the bridgehead east of the Chornyi Zherebets River on the Lyman direction.
The operational plan of the 8th Combined Arms Army on the Kostyantynivka direction is to envelop the tactical group of the "Khortytsia" OSG, which is defending south of Kostyantynivka between Oleksandropil and Tarasivka from the flanks. The enemy aims to encircle and destroy this group or, if unable to do so, force it to withdraw from the area south of Kostyantynivka in a northwestern direction under the threat of encirclement. The ultimate goal of these actions is a two-pronged breakthrough from the southwest and southeast toward the area of Stepanivka – Berestok – Pleshchiivka – Yablunivka, followed by a simultaneous assault on Kostyantynivka from this area and from the direction of Chasiv Yar.
Russian operational losses from 23.02.22 to 20.02.25
Personnel - almost 863,580 (+1,190);
Tanks 10,134 (+14);
Armored combat vehicles – 21,112 (+14);
Artillery systems – 23,410 (+63);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,291 (+3);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,078 (+6);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 37,961 (+136);
Aircraft - 370 (0);
Helicopters – 331 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 26,021 (+160);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 3,064 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
Overnight, Russian forces attacked Kherson with airstrikes. A guided aerial bomb hit a residential building in the Dnipro District. One person was reported dead and six injured, including two twin children. In the evening, rescuers found the body of the mother of the injured twins.
Russia continued its attacks on the energy infrastructure of Odesa Oblast for the second consecutive night. During a massive assault, another DTEK energy facility was targeted. As a result of the nighttime strike on Odesa, one man was injured.
On the night of February 20, Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, damaging production facilities.
As a result of artillery shelling by Russian occupation forces on February 20, three civilians were killed in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. Another civilian was killed in the morning due to a Russian airstrike.
On February 20, Russian forces shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with artillery, killing two people. A 39-year-old woman also sustained shrapnel injuries. The attack damaged industrial and private enterprises, a café, shops, garages, and vehicles. A private house was severely damaged.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces dropped three guided aerial bombs (KABs) in the Novooleksandrivka of Beryslav District. It was also reported that in the morning, Russian troops shelled Bilozerka with rocket artillery—at least eight strikes were recorded.
The enemy army attacked the village of Bilenke, near Zaporizhzhia, using a strike drone. One person was injured.
Russian aviation carried out an airstrike on the private residential sector of Mykolaivka in Kramatorsk District, Donetsk Oblast. A residential house was destroyed, and one person was killed.
Over the past day, Russian forces conducted 102 shelling attacks across 12 communities in Sumy Oblast. A total of 130 explosions were recorded.
According to a February 2025 survey conducted by the sociological center Socis, 63% of Ukrainians oppose holding any elections until the war ends. Less than 1% of respondents support holding only a presidential election, around 3% favor re-electing only the Verkhovna Rada, and 29% support simultaneous elections for both the Rada and the head of state.
60% of surveyed Ukrainians stated they are willing to endure financial hardships in exchange for personal freedoms and guarantees of civil rights.
The Russian Federation has launched a fully operational railway connection from Rostov-on-Don to Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Donetsk. Plans are underway to extend the railway line to Crimea, according to the Center for Occupation Studies.