On November 3–4, 2026, Russian forces attempted offensives on several front line sectors; however, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully thwarted these operations. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the latest ISW analytical report, which documents both the directions where attacks were repelled and sectors where the intensity of combat operations shifted compared to the previous period.
North of Sumy Region and Lyman Sector
In the north of the Sumy region, Russian units continued offensive actions on November 3 and 4 but failed to make progress due to counterattacks by Ukrainian forces northeast of Sumy. According to a source covering the activities of the Russian Northern Group of Forces, assaults were intensified in the direction of Myropillia on November 4. Meanwhile, in the northeastern Lyman sector, a source associated with the Russian Western Group of Forces refuted reports of Russian control over Zarichne, describing the settlement as a contested area where units are attempting to gain a foothold.
The East: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostiantynivka
East of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, attacks on November 3–4 also resulted in no progress: Ukrainian defenders carried out counterattacks along the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets river and southeast of Sloviansk. Russian forces showed the greatest activity in the Kostiantynivka-Druzhkivka direction—according to the General Staff of the AFU, 24 assaults were carried out there over two days, which was the highest number of attacks in a single direction for the specified period.
Dobropillia and the Southern Front
In the neighboring Dobropillia direction, the intensity of attacks decreased: previously, at least since August 1, 2026, the main efforts were concentrated there. On November 3–4, offensive actions continued, but no advance was made due to counterattacks by Ukrainian forces. In southern Ukraine, Russian troops attacked in the Huliaipole direction and in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region, but were unable to advance; Ukrainian defenders, in turn, conducted counterattacks south of Orikhiv.
Context: AFU breakthroughs and night attack
The ISW report comes amid previously reported breakthroughs by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in two regions simultaneously, which points to reciprocal offensive efforts by both sides. Furthermore, on the night of November 5, a new AFU attack on Russian territory was recorded, the consequences of which became known on the day the report was published. Collectively, the data for November 3–4 confirm a situation where Russian offensive operations in most directions were thwarted by counterattacks.
