The Ukrainian Armed Forces Are Thwarting Russia's Plan For An Offensive In Donbas

• Dmitry Snegirev
• 18.09.2026, 19:18

The occupiers are attempting to break through on two key fronts at once.

The situation on the front lines in the Donetsk region remains difficult. Russian occupiers are intensifying combat operations along the entire front line and are attempting to apply pressure on several fronts simultaneously.

The most problematic sectors at present are the Dobropolye (Pokrovsk) and Konstantinovka sectors.

In the Dobropolye sector, enemy advances are being observed between Shevchenko and the “Zaporozhskaya” mine. In addition, small enemy assault groups continue to operate in the direction of the “Vodyanskaya” mine. Fighting also continues in the areas of Matyashchevo, Svetly, Belitskoye, Vodyanskoye, and the village of Dobropolye. This indicates that the occupiers have deployed their operational reserves.

The occupiers’ strategic objective is to attempt to advance directly toward the city of Dobropillya. Fighting in the area of the village of Dobropillya indicates that the occupiers are attempting to shift the active phase of hostilities directly into the town.

The distance from the village of Dobropillya to the town of Dobropillya is approximately two kilometers. Several issues are at stake here. The occupiers are attempting to secure control over this sector—that is, to capture Dobropillya. If they succeed, they will effectively have full control over the so-called Pokrovsk sector. In addition, they are attempting to flank the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk metropolitan area and open up routes of advance toward the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Russians have abandoned sustained head-on attacks and are attempting to outflank Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. Currently, the occupiers are making extensive use of small assault groups and infantry on motorcycles, and are also attempting to concentrate their forces in wooded areas under the cover of fog and deteriorating weather conditions. It is expected that starting in October, when the leaves fall, the enemy may switch to deep mechanized breakthroughs using armored vehicles.

Officers from the National Guard’s “Rubezh” Brigade report hundreds of daily sorties by Russian FPV drones targeting logistics routes and Defense Forces positions. Since the enemy’s infantry has not achieved significant success, Russia has intensified its strikes with guided aerial bombs (GAB), destroying settlements near the front lines.

Dobropillya, which was previously considered a rear base for unit rest and recuperation, has been severely damaged as a result of constant drone and airstrikes, and the intensity of the shelling is forcing local residents to evacuate.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that Ukrainian troops are holding their defenses in the areas around the towns of Novoye Shakhovo, Novy Donbass, Dobropillya, and Vodyanske, and are blocking the enemy’s main routes of advance by preemptively mining and destroying potential breach routes.

As of September 2026, the situation on the Konstantinovka front remains one of the most tense and dynamic along the front line. Occupation forces carry out between 12 and 29 attacks daily, attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces are countering these attacks; in particular, UAV operators are eliminating members of assault groups. The occupiers are launching strikes in the areas of Novoselivka, Mykolaipol, Shakove, Sofiivka, Rusyn Yar, Ilinivka, and Kucheryv Yar.

Reports have come in of small assault groups of occupiers infiltrating the village of Izhevka. The situation and information are contradictory. According to preliminary data, the village is located in the so-called “gray” zone. After information and objective monitoring data emerged regarding the presence of small enemy assault groups in Izhevka, the occupiers shifted the focus of their attacks to Bezimiane and Popasne.

The enemy is attempting to outflank the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to restrict the maneuvering space of Ukrainian units and cut off their supply routes. Additionally, assaults are recorded daily in the direction of Novoselivka, Ilinivka, Dolha Balka, and Rusin Yar.

The main problem is the deteriorating situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Chasovyi Yar area. The occupiers are attacking the Shevchenko neighborhood. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had managed to maintain control over this neighborhood for three and a half years. This allowed the Ukrainian Defense Forces to thwart the occupiers’ attempts to rapidly encircle the Ukrainian force in Konstantinovka.

The main objective of the occupying forces is to gain complete control over the city. For them, Kostiantynivka holds not only military significance but also political and informational importance. They are exaggerating the issue of historical parallels. The claim is that it was precisely in Kostiantynivka, at the local glass factory, that the stars for the Kremlin’s towers were manufactured. In this way, they are attempting to highlight the Soviet historical legacy.

It is also worth noting that the number of enemy UAV operators directly within the city has risen sharply. This poses serious problems for the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The problem is compounded by the fact that Kostiantynivka is located in a low-lying area, while the occupiers control the high ground in both Chasov Yar and Toretsk. This is quite a serious problem for us.

According to military intelligence, the Russians often employ a deceptive tactic: they change into civilian clothes when moving around the city, hiding weapons under their jackets. Ukrainian UAV operators carefully scan suspicious individuals from various angles from the air to neutralize them.

The city has effectively ceased to exist in the traditional sense. The occupiers are actively using frontline attack aircraft—delivering strikes with guided bombs against the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The occupiers are employing a scorched-earth tactic: they are depriving the Ukrainian Defense Forces of the ability to use surviving industrial structures to house personnel and serve as defensive strongpoints.

The enemy’s primary targets on the Donetsk front are Dobropillya and Kostiantynivka.

These two directions will effectively develop in parallel as part of this process. This is precisely what gives the enemy the opportunity to plan its further advance on Kramatorsk, and then on Druzhkivka and Sloviansk.

Dmitry Snegirev, Focus