---
title: "Ukrainian Forces Push Back Russian Army in Donbas, - ISW"
description: "Ukrainian Defense Forces have advanced east of Oleksandrivka and are successfully counterattacking in the Donbas, disrupting Russian offensive plans, ISW reports."
date: 2026-10-08T05:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-forces-push-back-russian-army-donbas-isw
tags: [ukraine-war, isw, donbas, counteroffensive, frontline]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrainian Forces Push Back Russian Army in Donbas, - ISW

![Combat operations in eastern Ukraine and AFU advance in Donbas](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/08/vsu-ottesnili-armiyu-rf-na-donbasse-isw/vsu-ottesnili-armiyu-rf-na-donbasse-isw-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- AFU advanced eastward from Oleksandrivka in the Donetsk region
- Ukrainian military successfully counterattacks in the Lyman and Kupiansk directions
- ISW refutes Russian claims of capturing Novoplatonivka, Hrekivka, and Druzheliubivka
- AFU's drone advantage prevents Russian forces from entrenching near Lyman

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have demonstrated tactical successes in the eastern sector, advancing eastward from Oleksandrivka in the Donetsk region. This is reported in the latest analytical report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as of October 2026. Military experts note that Ukrainian units are not only deterring assault attempts by Russian troops but are also conducting effective counterattacks on several key front-line sectors, disrupting the enemy's plans.

### Situation in the Kharkiv and Kupiansk Directions

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, the Russian military attempted an infiltration east of Vovchansk, but met fierce resistance. The Ukrainian Defense Forces promptly delivered an effective fire strike on Russian positions southeast of Khrypuny. Meanwhile, active clashes were recorded near Kupiansk, Kovsharivka, and Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi at the beginning of October, though no confirmed advancement of occupation forces was registered thanks to timely counterattacks by the Ukrainian army in northern Kupiansk.

### Contradictory Data

Significant discrepancies remain in the information space regarding control over several settlements at the junction of the fronts. Thus, according to sources linked to Russia's Western Group of Forces, the Russian side claims to have established control over Novoplatonivka, Hrekivka, and Druzheliubivka. At the same time, ISW analysts and official Ukrainian data confirm that these settlements remain firmly under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, despite loud statements from the Kremlin.### Lyman Direction and Operation Vivaldi

In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian defenders are continuing offensive and counteroffensive actions toward the eastern bank of the Zherebets River. Russian troops are trying to restrain the Ukrainian advance as part of the so-called "Vivaldi" operation. According to Kremlin-linked military bloggers, the AFU's advantage in personnel and drones critically hinders the Russian army from entrenching itself near Lyman, which fully confirms ISW analysts' conclusions about the high efficiency of Ukrainian counterattacks.### Conclusions and Strategic Consequences

Beyond the east, a tense situation persists in the Zaporizhzhia and Huliaipole directions, where the occupiers unsuccessfully attempted to bypass Orikhiv. Defensive operations and targeted counterattacks by the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to exhaust the offensive potential of the Russian army, demonstrating the flexibility of Ukraine's military strategy and preventing the enemy from realizing operational designs for the autumn 2026 campaign.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [ВСУ оттеснили армию РФ на Донбассе, - ISW](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zsu-vidtisnili-armiyu-rf-donbasi-isw-1791438108.html) - Основной источник по продвижению ВСУ под Александровкой и отчетам ISW
- [ВСУ освободили 26 населенных пунктов: как контрнаступление меняет фронт - ISW](https://glavred.info/front/vsu-osvobodili-26-naselennyh-punktov-kak-kontrnastuplenie-menyaet-front-isw-10788026.html) - Контекст успехов украинских сил на фронте
- [ВСУ сообщили о контрнаступлении на лиманском направлении](https://www.dw.com/ru/vsu-soobsili-o-kontrnastuplenii-na-limanskom-napravlenii/a-79282863) - Подтверждение контратак на Лиманском направлении
- [Битва за юг Украины: контратаки ВСУ сорвали планы Кремля на весенне-летнее наступление, — ISW](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/746609-voyna-v-ukraine-kontrataki-vsu-ostanovili-nastuplenie-rf-isw) - Аналитика ISW по стратегическому срыву планов РФ

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the situation near Oleksandrivka in the Donetsk region?
**A:** The Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to advance eastward from Oleksandrivka.

### Q: Who controls Novoplatonivka, Hrekivka, and Druzheliubivka?
**A:** According to ISW and Ukrainian sources, these settlements are controlled by Ukrainian forces, despite opposite statements from the Russian side.