The Ukrainian Offensive Pushed The Occupying Forces Back Dozens Of Kilometers
- 15.08.2026, 19:10
The Ukrainian Armed Forces thwarted Russia's plans to break through to Zaporizhzhia.
On August 12, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the results of a large-scale offensive operation by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which had been underway at the junction of the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions since January 2026. The Ukrainian army has managed to liberate the largest swath of territory since the fall of 2022, reports Korrespondent.net.
Background to the Offensive
The first phase of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in the Oleksandrivka sector began on January 29. At that time, Russian troops—which had invaded the Dnipropetrovsk region in the summer of 2025—were approaching a key logistical hub: the town of Pokrovske and, on its southern outskirts, the village of Oleksandrivka.
At the same time, the Russian Federation’s army was conducting offensive operations on the flanks: in the north, it was attempting to capture Velikomikhailivka and Novopavlivka (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), and in the south—settlements near Huliaipole (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). Had this plan succeeded, the enemy would have been able to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian fortified sector in Orekhov and reach the immediate approaches to Zaporizhzhia from the east.
To thwart the occupiers’ plans, the Ukrainian command developed a counteroffensive operation. It involved forces from four brigades of the Airborne Assault Forces (DShV) and two assault regiments. The operation took place in two phases:
Phase One: late January–April.
Phase Two: May 5–early August.
Extent of the Liberated Territories
The results of the nearly seven-month offensive were impressive. According to Major General Mykhailo Drapaty, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 450 square kilometers were liberated during the first phase, and during the second—another 490 square kilometers (although the total area under stable control varies slightly due to the configuration of the front line).
Official results of the liberation:
745 square kilometers of territory have been brought under control.
Approximately 300 square kilometers in the rear have been cleared of Russian infiltration groups.
26 settlements have been liberated: 12 in the Dnipropetrovsk region (Maliivka, Sichneve, Stepove, Kalynovske, etc.), 10 in the Donetsk region, and 4 in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The most significant achievement is that the Defense Forces have completely driven the enemy out of the Dnipropetrovsk region (with the exception of the village of Filiya, which, according to analysts, remains in a “gray zone” for now). The threat of a Russian offensive on Zaporizhzhia along the Donetsk–Zaporizhzhia highway was also completely eliminated.
Lies from the Russian Command
Interestingly, the Russian military command not only refused to acknowledge the loss of territory but also continued to report “advances” in the Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the spring and summer.
For example, on July 3, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the “capture” of the village of Oleksandrivka. As proof, they showed a video in which a soldier unfurls a Russian flag. In reality, the front line was 20–25 km away from these villages. The Russians filmed propaganda videos after 1–2 saboteurs secretly infiltrated the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, only to be immediately eliminated or driven out.
The commander of the 95th Airborne Brigade, Colonel Ruslan Marishev, who participated in the offensive, explains this as a complete fabrication on the ground:
“Many Russian commanders deceived their higher command... Even when we had already advanced about 20–25 km deep into the Russian troops’ defensive lines, their leadership didn’t believe it and provided maps (which we had captured from them) indicating that they were supposedly 25 km behind our lines”.
The actual location of the front line came as a shock to Russian officers—there were instances when Russian battalion commanders arrived at “their” positions to conduct inspections and were killed in close combat with Ukrainian paratroopers.
Strategic Significance: Another Breakthrough
In addition to political success (the expulsion of Russian forces from the Dnipropetrovsk region), the Ukrainian Armed Forces achieved important tactical advantages by advancing toward the enemy’s key logistics routes in the south.
Ukrainian forces are now 3–4 km from the Velyka Novoselka–Hulyaypole highway, which is critically important to Russia (in the area of the villages of Uspenivka and Temirivka).
Fighting has broken out for the large village of Komar—an important Russian stronghold on the banks of the Mokrye Yaly River.
According to military analysts, Ukrainian forces need only advance another 5–6 km (toward the village of Volnoye Pole) to establish tight fire control over Velikaya Novoselka. This would allow them to effectively cut off the logistics of the Russian “Vostok” group using artillery and drones without having to storm the town itself. Disrupting logistics will inevitably affect the combat effectiveness of Russian units and definitively halt their attempts to advance on Orekhov.