Russia has launched an offensive against a belt of Ukrainian Armed Forces strongholds in Donetsk Oblast – ISW
Russian forces have intensified their large-scale spring-summer campaign of 2026, directing their main offensive against Ukraine’s main line of defense in the Donetsk region.
According to a March 22 report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the occupiers have concentrated their forces in the Lyman direction, which serves as a strategic foothold for a further advance on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. To break through Ukrainian positions, the enemy changed tactics, shifting from column movements to dispersed assaults using large numbers of light vehicles, buggies, and motorcycles to complicate the work of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ aerial reconnaissance units and strike drones.
Key facts of the Russian offensive operation:
Battalion-level assault: On March 19, the enemy deployed over 500 troops and dozens of armored vehicles for a simultaneous attack from several directions in the Lyman region.
Threat to key cities: The Russian command views Lyman as a key stronghold; capturing it would allow them to launch an offensive against Sloviansk, Kostiantynivka, and Kramatorsk from the flanks.
Preparation of reserves: Additional equipment has been observed being deployed, and artillery fire has intensified in the southern sectors of the front, indicating intentions to expand the zone of active combat operations.
Air support: The occupiers are increasing their use of guided aerial bombs (GABs) and loitering munitions to destroy the logistics routes of Ukrainian defenders.
Despite the high intensity of the attacks, ISW analysts consider a complete capture of Ukraine’s “belt of fortresses” in 2026 unlikely. Ukrainian defense forces continue to inflict critical losses on the invaders—during recent assaults, Russian units lost the majority of their personnel. This calls into question the ability of Russia’s military-industrial complex and mobilization resources to sustain such an operational pace for an extended period without a pause for recovery. The situation in the Donetsk region remains extremely tense, and the battles for Lyman and surrounding communities will determine the stability of the entire eastern front line.
On March 21, Ukrainian defense forces killed and wounded 940 Russian occupiers; the enemy’s total losses in the war now stand at 1,287,880 personnel.
Over the night and morning of March 22, 2026, Ukrainian defense forces neutralized 127 attack drones out of 139 units deployed by the enemy.
