Russia intensifies offensive while Ukrainian military “defends soldiers to limit damage”. Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 26th that Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov inspected the front lines in Ukraine.
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Shirsky also visited the front-line command post and emphasized continued defensive posture with emphasis on limiting casualties for his soldiers. After a fierce battle that resulted in many casualties, the Russian military took control of Audiiivka in the eastern Donetsk region in the middle of this month.