The Russian Armed Forces Found Themselves Trapped: The Ukrainian Armed Forces Broke Through The Front Line
- 26.09.2026, 11:11
The Ukrainian military has thoroughly prepared for counteroffensive operations.
The Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine thwarted the plans of the aggressor country, Russia, to encircle the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk metropolitan area and prevented the occupiers from launching an offensive against Barvinkove from the north, in the Liman area.
This was reported in an interview “Glavred” by military expert, flight instructor, and Ukrainian Armed Forces Reserve Colonel Roman Svitán. According to him, the success of the Ukrainian forces’ counterattack is linked to the choice of the front-line sector and the precise timing of the attack.
The “Troika” was assigned the most challenging section of the front at this stage—the northeastern part of the Slavyansk Defense Group. It was precisely here, in the Liman area, the Russians planned an offensive aimed at reaching Barvinkove in order to cut off the Slavyansk Group’s logistics supply lines from Izyum,” he explained.
According to the expert, the counterattack operation had been in the works for about half a year—they tried to lure the Russians into a narrow corridor between Ukrainian flank units and struck precisely when the enemy was already celebrating victory. Despite the localized nature of the counterattack, the consequences for the Kremlin’s strategic plans turned out to be significantly more far-reaching.
“By preventing this ‘pincer movement’—which would have opened a route to Barvinkove—from unfolding north of Slavyansk, they effectively neutralized the strategic prospect of a flanking capture of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk metropolitan area,” Svitán emphasized.
Having lost the ability to bypass the metropolitan area from the north, the Russian command, according to Svitán, is left with a single, extremely unfavorable scenario.
“Right now, they have only one option left—to advance head-on and directly attempt to storm this metropolitan area. And this is very difficult for them, because there is a fairly serious fortified area there that cannot be taken easily,” the expert noted.
Launching an offensive from the southwest of Kramatorsk—through Pokrovsk, Mirnograd, and Dobropillya toward Barvinkove—also loses its purpose: without the northern “claw,” the southern one is simply unnecessary. However, the direction of the main offensive will likely shift in the near future.
“The Russians are most likely urgently reorienting the direction of this southwestern ‘claw’ directly toward Kramatorsk—from Dobropillya along the ridge. The elevation difference there is approximately 200 meters,” Svitan speculates.
To carry out this maneuver, Russia will need additional forces and equipment, and it has already lost a significant number of personnel in this area—though, according to the expert’s assessment, the Kremlin has virtually no alternatives.
What is the secret to the Defense Forces’ successful operation
Despite the operation’s tactical scale, the Third Corps is expanding its zone of control deep into enemy positions.
“They’ve already played two ‘seasons’ of Vivaldi; there will be a third and a fourth. The main thing is that for the Russians, they end with Mozart—the ‘Requiem,’” the expert added.
The explanation for why the corps succeeded in its mission boils down to several factors.
“First, good planning—the operation was carried out under conditions of strict media blackout. Second, professional commanders at the operational-tactical level. And most importantly—a fully-fledged corps with 100 percent manpower. We have only a few corps with that level of manpower,” noted Svitán.
According to the expert, the First Corps of the National Guard, operating north of Kupiansk, is also successful based on the same principle—and likewise thanks to being fully staffed.
In order for other units to replicate these results, Svitán believes a systematic solution for army personnel staffing is necessary.
“We currently need about 150,000 trained, motivated soldiers. Then all 16 of our corps will be able to hold back the Russians along the entire front line and grind down the advancing troops. The Russians will most likely launch an offensive using heavy equipment as soon as fog sets in,” Svitán warned.