Ukrainian Advances Near Lyman Erase Russian Salient and Force Shift Along Donbas Front
Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops out of a salient near Lyman and removed a bridgehead across key rivers, retaking several villages and undoing gains from a major Russian operation while both armies adjust positions along the northern Donetsk and Luhansk fronts.
A series of Ukrainian gains around Lyman has reshaped part of the front in eastern Ukraine, rolling back Russian positions that had been built up since early 2025.
Battlefield mapping reports covering days 1,648–1,654 of the full‑scale war say Russian forces have completed a full withdrawal from the Nitrius River salient, pulling back to the east and west. As a result, Ukrainian troops are reported to have recaptured Serednje, Shandryholove, Novoselivka, Derylove, Drobysheve and Zelena Dolyna, and to be consolidating control over these localities.
Separate accounts focused on the Lyman area state that, after months of offensive operations north of the town, Ukrainian forces have removed the Russian bridgehead over the Zherebets River. Analysts behind these reports emphasize that the situation remains fluid and that Russian troops may still be present in some locations now assessed as Ukrainian‑held.
Russian military commentators linked to the Lyman sector acknowledge setbacks. One analysis notes growing “problems” around Lyman and points to a pattern of contradictory and overly positive reporting from that direction. It concludes that the loss of the salient means Russia has, for this year, forfeited its chance to take Lyman after lifting an operational semi‑encirclement around the town.
According to the same assessment, Russian units have withdrawn from positions that once threatened Lyman and are now on the town’s outskirts, reversing much of the ground obtained during a Russian operation launched in January 2025. This reduces Moscow’s immediate options for advancing toward key hubs such as Sloviansk.
The shifts near Lyman are part of a wider contest across northern Donetsk and Luhansk. On the Luhansk front, Ukrainian forces are reported to have launched a new operation along the border of the two regions, taking control of Hrekivka and positions north of Novomykhailivka, and entering the Luhansk village of Makiivka.
Further north, Ukrainian troops have retaken positions east of Borova and north of Shyikivka on the Borivska front, moving closer to Borivska Andriivka. At the same time, Russian forces have made gains elsewhere: they have taken control of the western part of Kozacha Lopan on the Dergachivska front, advanced near Kupiansk into the Uvileyniy microdistrict and along Kharkivska Street, and continued efforts to form a pocket north of Kharkiv from the Volchanska and Vilkhuvatska axes.
Taken together, these changes confirm that control of river lines and salients remains central to both sides’ strategies. Losing a bridgehead over the Zherebets and the Nitrius River salient has cost Russia a year’s worth of offensive positioning around Lyman, while giving Ukraine a straighter, more defensible line.
Key developments to watch next include whether Russian forces attempt counterattacks to restore a foothold west of the rivers, how fast Ukrainian units can fortify their new positions, and how troop and artillery allocations shift along nearby fronts such as Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk and the broader Kharkiv area.
Sources
- OSINT