ADAPTIVE AND INDOMITABLE UKRAINE Creation of “custom Russian highlights” in the north of Donetsk Oblast

It is striking how quickly the Russian northern pincer collapsed near Lyman, at the hands of Ukrainian forces. Operation Vivaldi threatens to give in on the entire Russian front targeting the “belt of fortresses”. A quick glance at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) map of October 8, 2026 (see photo in caption) shows at least four or more Russian salients ripe for the picking.

The quite large Russian garrison is currently stationed nearby Yampil appears to be particularly vulnerable as recent reports indicate that a forming Ukrainian pincer is bearing down on it from two directions…north from Zarichne and south of Yampil:

Ukrainian armed forces surrounded Russian forces in Yampol

According to Western sources, Ukrainian troops crossed the Zherebets River in at least two places: near Nevskoye and near Zarechny. The northern route leads to the Luhansk region – the same one that Putin has apparently “conquered” about five times. But what interests me more is the southern breakthrough, near Zarechny. Because its goal, obviously, is not simply to penetrate as deep as possible to the rear, but to outflank and encircle from the rear the main Russian base for the entire region, the city of Yampol.

Geography is key here. Yampil is located on the right west bank of the Zherebets River. If I am not mistaken about the plan of the Ukrainian armed forces, they are bypassing the city from the left bank to block it and cut it off from its main forces. This is also evidenced by the fact that at the same time the Ukrainian offensive continues along the Seversky Donets from west to east, along the southern flank of Yampol itself. If all goes as planned, Ukrainian forces will surround the city, flanked by two rivers to the south and north.

https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/9/19/698984

Based on the ISW report and the map referenced above, Newsweek Magazine also sees what he calls “breakthroughs” emerging following the collapse of the northern pincer of Russia’s planned encirclement of fortified cities (Slovakia, Kramatorsk, DruzhkivkaAnd Kostiantynivka):

Map reveals four new breakthroughs on Ukrainian frontline

“A Russian blogger claims that Ukrainian forces crossed the Siverskyi Donets River because the river poses a significant natural obstacle,” the ISW said in its latest update on Thursday.

The Washington, D.C., think tank said Russian sources were concerned that Ukrainian counterattacks in the Slovyansk and Kramatorsk directions “could have cascading effects and implications for Russian efforts to seize the fortress belt.”

This would mean it would be difficult for Russian troops to mass towards the cities. Any advance by Moscow toward Slovyansk could be “doomed” due to failure or high casualties if Russian forces fail to reconquer the forests south of the town of Lyman.

https://www.newsweek.com/map-four-new-ukrainian-front-line-breakthroughs-12545341

I’m not really sure if these are “breakthroughs” that we are seeing, but the possibility of now surrounding and cutting off several Russian garrisons of various sizes in the region is very real. Russian forces are always surprised when seeing Ukrainian units, both unmanned ground assault robots and special forces, suddenly appear in what they previously thought was their safe rear, causing them serious confusion in which some chose to fight (and die) rather than surrender, as many of their more optimistic compatriots thought it was the better part of courage to abandon the fight:

Ukraine says heavy bomber drones dropped explosive war robots miles behind Russian lines in covert operation

https://www.businessinsider.com/drones-drop-robots-russian-lines-ukraine-retake-territory-2026-9

Ukrainian 3rd Corps advances 5 km behind Russian lines as part of Operation Vivaldi

“Today, the use of armored vehicles is indeed a special operation. It requires extremely detailed planning and the coordination of a large number of resources,” he explained.

Before one of the assaults, corps and brigade commands even conducted a war game to plan the operation. Biletskyi said that until the last moment he doubted the possibility of successfully using the armored vehicles, but he decided not to obstruct the initiative of the brigade commanders.

The first mechanized assault helped Ukrainian forces partially encircle the Nove settlement.

Ukraine’s 3rd Corps Advances 5 km Behind Russian Lines in Operation Vivaldi

Under Operation Vivaldi and the recent launch Operation Veles(just north of Lyman, Kupiansk region, Kharkiv Oblast) ADAPTIVE AND INDOMITABLE UKRAINE disrupted and largely eliminated several major Russian salients threatening the fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast. But other such elements remain. The harsh winter in the Ukrainian steppes is fast approaching. Units of the Russian army, already exhausted, disconnected and now largely cut off from their logistical tail, with their backs to the Zherebets and Siverskyi Donet rivers even as Ukrainian troops threaten their rear and their escape routes, are heading towards salients likely to collapse… and be eliminated… à la carte.

SLAVA UKRAINI! PEREMOHA (Victory)!!

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