At the end of February 2024, significant changes occurred in the combat zone at the front in the Avdeevka area. According to reports from Russian military Telegram channels, Ukrainian armed forces were forced to retreat from the village of Stepovoe (Petrovskoe), which is located northwest of Avdiivka. This information has not yet received official confirmation.

According to military correspondents, fierce battles took place on the territory of Stepovoy between the advancing units of the Russian army and the defending Ukrainian military. The situation changed dramatically after the Russian Armed Forces managed to take full control of Avdeevka and the Avdeevka coke plant, which significantly worsened the strategic position of the Ukrainian formations in Stepovoy.

As a result of intense artillery shelling by Russian troops, Ukrainian units lost most of their positions in the village and surrounding areas, which forced them to retreat to more defensible positions.

Now, according to statements by military correspondents, the Ukrainian Armed Forces plan to hold the defense in the villages of Berdychi and Semyonovka, where fortifications were prepared in advance. These settlements pose a serious obstacle to further advances by Russian troops due to their well-equipped defensive lines.

In addition, it is reported that Russian units continue offensive operations in the Severny region, aimed at breaking through to the settlements of Tonenkoye and Orlovka. These actions are aimed at further weakening the defensive lines of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and expanding the controlled territory.