UAF Thwarts Plan to Encircle Druzhkovka: "Azov" Clears 90th Tank Division Buildup in Donetsk Oblast

Ukrainian forces in Donetsk Oblast have completed an operation to clear Russian occupier forces that had been building up in the Dobropillia area since spring and summer 2026. This was announced by the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, "Azov," citing data from the command of the 12th Special Operations Brigade. As a result of the operation, which Ukrainian defenders launched in early August, the enemy's attempt to reach key logistical routes for the operational encirclement of Druzhkovka and a subsequent strike toward Dobropillia was thwarted.

Composition and timeline of the operation

The clearance operation involved a special reconnaissance unit, the 1st and 6th battalions of the 12th Special Operations Brigade "Azov," the "Tuman" special operations unit of the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov," and the "Shkval" battalion of the 425th Independent Special Regiment "Skala." Fire support was provided by the Lasar's Group special-purpose fire support unit. The operation was planned with the direct participation of representatives of all involved units, which, according to the commanders, allowed the actions of assault groups and fire assets to be synchronized. The commander of the 12th "Azov" Brigade, callsign "Horus," clarified that forces of the occupying 90th Tank Division and the 8th Combined Arms Army had been attempting to reach the logistical routes.

Strategic result: encirclement of Druzhkovka thwarted

The main objective of the operation, as explained by "Horus," was to isolate the enemy grouping's buildup areas with fire assets to prevent its further advance and to create favorable conditions for the actions of Ukrainian assault groups. "I consider this task accomplished," the brigade commander stated. Thwarting the Russian forces' advance onto the logistical routes deprived the enemy of the ability to carry out the operational encirclement of Druzhkovka — one of the key transport hubs in the combat zone — and a subsequent strike toward Dobropillia, where, according to intelligence data, forces of three Russian armies had been concentrated by mid-September.

Tactics of minimizing casualties

The commander of the "Shkval" battalion, callsign "Zamok," said that during the clearance Ukrainian forces were guided by the principle of minimizing their own casualties. "If the enemy was difficult to clear — there were shelters or we risked losing or wounding our personnel — we dealt with it using both our own means and those of the 12th Brigade, employing both FPV drones and bombers. The response was fast. We tried to deal with it quickly so that the guys would not be hurt," noted "Zamok." This approach allowed camouflaged enemy groups to be eliminated before they could inflict damage on the assault elements.

Enemy losses

According to the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov," the total losses of Russian occupiers during the operation amounted to 237 killed and 44 wounded. In addition, three Russian army servicemen were taken prisoner. The figures cited are a self-report by the Ukrainian side and have not been confirmed by independent monitoring. Nevertheless, the scale of the losses — more than 280 personnel over the period since early August — indicates that the grouping of the 90th Tank Division and the 8th Combined Arms Army that had been built up over the summer was significantly weakened before the start of the planned offensive.

Context: Operation "Vivaldi" and the advance in northern Donetsk Oblast

The operation to clear the buildup in the Dobropillia area took place against the backdrop of the offensive operation of the 3rd Army Corps, "Vivaldi," in northern Donetsk Oblast. Over the course of a week, the Defense Forces made new advances: they cleared and took control of a number of settlements, returning 125 square kilometers of territory to Ukrainian control. In particular, without any losses, Ukrainian forces drove the Russians out of the settlement of Serednie, fully clearing the settlement. It was previously reported that during the fighting the Defense Forces managed to liberate an area larger in size than the city of Zhytomyr, eliminate camouflaged enemy groups, and create a bridgehead for further offensive in the region. The combination of these operations paints a picture of steady Ukrainian troop advances on the Donetsk axis in September 2026.