--- title: "ISW: Ukrainian Defense Forces Advance in Three Regions and Disrupt Russian Offensive" description: "ISW recorded advances by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ukrainian forces disrupted several Russian offensive operations, and Russian claims of capturing Odradne and Nikonivka were not confirmed." date: 2026-09-05T05:32:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/isw-ukrainian-forces-advance-in-three-regions-disrupt-russian-offensive tags: [ukraine-war, isw, vso, kharkiv, donetsk, slavyansk, frontline, russia-ukraine] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # ISW: Ukrainian Defense Forces Advance in Three Regions and Disrupt Russian Offensive ![Ukrainian female soldier with a mortar on the front line during combat operations](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/05/isw-vs-u-prodvinulisya-v-treh-oblastyah-sorvali-nastuplenie-rf/isw-vs-u-prodvinulisya-v-treh-oblastyah-sorvali-nastuplenie-rf-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - ISW recorded advances by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions on September 3–4 - Russian offensive operations on the Kupiansk, Borove, Pokrovsk, and Huliaipole axes did not yield a confirmed advance - Ukrainian troops repelled attacks near Odradne, refuting Russian claims of capturing the settlement - Geolocation data confirmed Ukrainian advances east of Slaviansk and in the Novopavlivka area - Russian bloggers' claims of capturing Nikonivka and two villages in Sumy region received no independent confirmation The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recorded advances by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions over the past 24 hours in its daily operational update. According to the analysts, Ukrainian troops not only held key defensive lines but also disrupted several offensive operations by Russian forces along multiple axes. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the latest ISW report published on September 5, 2026. ### Kharkiv Axis: Odradne Remains Under Ukrainian Control In northern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian units repelled Russian attacks near the settlement of Odradne, located east of Kharkiv. According to ISW's assessment, this fact indicates that Odradne is still under the control of the Defense Forces, despite earlier Russian claims of its "liberation." In addition, Ukrainian troops continue to strike targets of the Russian grouping in the occupied part of the region, confirming that the active phase of combat operations in the area is ongoing. ### Kupiansk and Borove Axes: Ukrainian Counterattacks On the Kupiansk axis, Russian troops continued offensive operations, but ISW did not record any confirmed cases of their advance. A similar picture was observed on the Borove axis: on September 3 and 4, the Russian Armed Forces conducted limited offensive actions but achieved no success. Ukrainian forces, by contrast, carried out successful counterattacks. According to Russian military bloggers, the area between Redkodub and Nove, southeast of Borove, remains contested territory where intense fighting continues. ISW separately notes that personnel of the "Kharta" unit inflicted losses on Russian forces in the Kupiansk area. ### Slaviansk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk: Ukrainian Advance to the East The most significant shift on the front, according to ISW, is the advance of Ukrainian forces east of Slaviansk. Geolocated video footage released on September 3 recorded a Russian strike on Ukrainian positions in the northwestern part of Rai-Aleksandrivka, located east of Slaviansk. This indicates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding and advancing in an area where the Russian army had attempted to seize tactical high ground for a subsequent assault on the city. On the Kostiantynivka–Druzhkivka axis, Russian offensive actions on September 3–4 also did not lead to an advance: Ukrainian forces are holding positions that block the route to Kostiantynivka. On the Pokrovsk axis, the Russian Armed Forces continued their offensive, but no confirmed successes were recorded over the two days. ### Novopavlivka and Huliaipole: Breakthrough and Stagnation On the Novopavlivka axis, Ukrainian troops achieved a breakthrough: according to geolocated footage from September 3, the Defense Forces advanced west of Kotliarivka, located slightly east of Novopavlivka. On the Huliaipole axis and in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region, Russian troops continued offensive actions on September 3 and 4, but no confirmed cases of their advance in these sectors were recorded by any of the sources analyzed by ISW. ### Contradictory Data The ISW report and the statements of the parties contain a number of inconsistencies. First, the Russian side had previously claimed the capture of Odradne, but the recorded repelling of attacks near this settlement indicates that Ukrainian control is maintained. Second, on September 4, one of the Russian military bloggers reported the alleged capture of Nikonivka southeast of Slaviansk, but ISW notes a complete lack of confirmation of this information. Third, the Ukrainian Defense Forces had officially refuted Moscow's claim of the "liberation" of two villages in Sumy region. Thus, on several sections of the front, the versions of the parties directly contradict each other, and independent verification based on geolocation data has not yet confirmed Russian claims of an advance. Overall, according to the ISW review for September 3–4, 2026, the operational situation is characterized by the steady holding of positions by the Defense Forces on key axes, successful counterattacks, and local breakthroughs, while offensive operations by the Russian army on most fronts have not led to a confirmed advance. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Ukrainian Forces Break Through in Several Regions at Once, - ISW](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zsu-prorvalisya-vpered-odrazu-kilkoh-oblastyah-1788586113.html) - Основной источник. Содержит полный текст отчёта ISW по направлениям: Харьков, Купянск, Боровая, Славянск, Константиновка, Покровск, Новопавловка, Гуляйполе. Геолокационные данные от 3 сентября подтверждают продвижение ВСУ. - [SVO August 31: Liberation of Sadky, Ukrainian Forces Flee from Velykyi Prykyl, Encirclement of Dobropillia, CIA ...](https://life.ru/p/1918400) - Контекстный источник за 31 августа. Не содержит данных по 3–4 сентября, использован для общей картины фронта. - [SVO August 31: Fighting for Dobropillia, Russian Advance and New Reports of Negotiations](https://tolknews.ru/politika/224357-prodvizhenie-vs-rf-i-novie-soobshcheniya-o-peregovorah-svodka-svo-segodnya) - Контекстный источник за 31 августа. Подтверждает общую динамику боёв в Донецкой области, но не пересекается с ключевыми фактами статьи. - [SVO News September 1: Fighting for Krasny Lymah, Clearance of Tolstodubove, 159th Ukrainian Brigade Burns in ...](https://life.ru/p/1918861) - Контекстный источник за 31 августа. Не содержит данных по 3–4 сентября, использован для общей картины фронта. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Which regions are mentioned in the ISW report as zones of Ukrainian advance? **A:** ISW recorded advances or the holding of positions by the Defense Forces in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions on September 3–4, 2026. ### Q: Did ISW confirm the Russian capture of Odradne? **A:** No. ISW notes that Ukrainian units repelled Russian attacks near Odradne, indicating that Ukrainian control over the settlement is maintained despite Russian claims. ### Q: Is there a confirmed Russian advance on the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole axes? **A:** No. According to ISW, Russian offensive actions on these axes on September 3 and 4 did not lead to a confirmed advance. ### Q: What is known about the situation in the Slaviansk area? **A:** Ukrainian forces advanced east of Slaviansk. Geolocated footage from September 3 recorded a Russian strike on Ukrainian positions in Rai-Aleksandrivka. A Russian blogger's claim of capturing Nikonivka was not confirmed.