---
title: "UAF Thwarts Plan to Encircle Druzhkovka: \"Azov\" Clears 90th Tank Division Buildup in Donetsk Oblast"
description: "The 1st National Guard Corps \"Azov\" completed an operation to clear the buildup of Russia's 90th Tank Division in the Dobropillia area. Enemy forces failed to reach the logistical routes for the encirclement of Druzhkovka; occupier losses — 237 killed."
date: 2026-09-23T09:56:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/uaf-thwarts-druzhkovka-encirclement-azov-clears-dobropillia-buildup
tags: [ukraine-russia-war, donetsk-region, azov-corps, dobropillia, druzhkovka, military-operation, vivaldi-operation]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

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

![Ukrainian soldier in camouflage covering ears during fire from an anti-aircraft gun against an explosion background](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/vsu-sorvali-plan-okruzheniya-druzhkovki-azov-zachistil-nakopleniya-v-donetskoy-oblasti/vsu-sorvali-plan-okruzheniya-druzhkovki-azov-zachistil-nakopleniya-v-donetskoy-oblasti-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Ukrainian forces thwarted the attempt by Russia's 90th Tank Division and 8th Combined Arms Army to reach logistical routes for the encirclement of Druzhkovka
- The operation was carried out since early August by the 12th "Azov" Brigade, the "Tuman" unit, the "Shkval" battalion, and the Lasar's Group fire support unit
- Russian occupier losses per National Guard data: 237 killed, 44 wounded, 3 taken prisoner
- Against the backdrop of Operation "Vivaldi," the UAF returned 125 sq. km to Ukrainian control in northern 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.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [UAF Thwarts Russian Plans to Encircle Druzhkovka and Strike Toward Dobropillia](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zsu-zirvali-plani-rosiyan-otochiti-druzhkivku-1790156760.html) - Первичный источник: самоотчёт 1-го корпуса НГУ «Азов». Подтверждает состав сил, хронологию (начало августа), стратегическую цель (срыв окружения Дружковки) и цифры потерь. Цифры не верифицированы независимо.
- [Three Russian Armies on One Sector: Molin Shows New Force Deployment in the Dobropillia Area ...](https://my.ua/news/cluster/2026-09-15-tri-rossiiskie-armii-na-odnom-uchastke-molin-pokazal-novuiu-rasstanovku-sil-v-raione-dobropolia-karta) - Датирован 15.09.2026. Подтверждает концентрацию российских сил в районе Доброполья и согласуется с утверждением о срыве их наступательного плана. Не противоречит данным РБК-Украина.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Which units took part in the clearance operation in the Dobropillia area?
**A:** The operation involved a special reconnaissance unit, the 1st and 6th battalions of the 12th "Azov" Brigade, the "Tuman" unit of the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov," the "Shkval" battalion of the 425th "Skala" Independent Special Regiment, and the Lasar's Group fire support unit.

### Q: What strategic result did the operation achieve?
**A:** The attempt by Russia's 90th Tank Division and 8th Combined Arms Army to reach logistical routes for the operational encirclement of Druzhkovka and a strike toward Dobropillia was thwarted.

### Q: What losses did the Russian forces suffer?
**A:** According to the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov," losses amounted to 237 killed, 44 wounded, and 3 servicemen taken prisoner. The figures are a self-report by the Ukrainian side.

### Q: What is Operation "Vivaldi" and how is it related to the clearance in the Dobropillia area?
**A:** "Vivaldi" is an offensive operation by the 3rd Army Corps in northern Donetsk Oblast. During it, the UAF returned 125 sq. km to Ukrainian control. The operation to clear the buildup in the Dobropillia area was conducted in parallel and complemented the overall offensive axis.