Today, there is interesting news from the Lyman direction.
Here, Russian commanders again resorted to one of their favorite and most brutal tactics, employing drone barrier troops to continue the offensive after their soldiers’ morale had already broken. They did this to instill fear and obedience in their soldiers in preparation for a renewed push toward Lyman, building up for what could become one of the most brutal offensives of the war.
The Russian strategic goal is to break through Ukrainian lines along the Zherebets River, take control of the area between Zherebets and the Oskil Rivers, and move to sever Ukrainian ground lines of communication. If successful, Russian forces would aim to press southward and capture Lyman, a gateway into the heavily fortified Ukrainian-held cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Siversk in northern Donetsk Oblast.
Such a maneuver would also complement another planned offensive from the south toward Kostyantynivka, as the Russians plan to capture northern Donetsk Oblast before they are forced to end the war. The Russian command seems to be laying the groundwork for a massive, multi-directional offensive that could put Ukrainian defenses under severe pressure.
However, the Russians have faced a significant chokepoint at Torske. The Zherebets River here widens considerably due to nearby water reservoirs, creating natural bottlenecks that funnel Russian forces into narrow kill zones. Ukrainian defenders have turned these chokepoints into death traps using drones, tanks, and artillery, waiting for the precise moment to strike the enemy when they are most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, from the south, the dense Serebryanski forest has given Ukrainian units a major advantage for months. Utilizing drones and artillery from within the forest allowed the Ukrainians to create a death zone for all Russian units advancing toward Torske, striking them before they could even establish a proper foothold, making any progress impossible.
To try and break the stalemate, the Russians have resorted to infiltration tactics along the eastern riverbank. Small infantry groups are attempting to advance toward Torske from the north and further reinforce the Russian bridgehead at Ivanivka. Yet this approach has proven extremely costly. Drones have recorded wave after wave of Russian infantry being wiped out by Ukrainian FPV strikes, and the bodies of soldiers are piling up near the crossings.
Despite this, Ukraine’s 63rd Brigade recently intercepted communications between Russian units near Lyman that revealed a disturbing new layer to these tactics. The recordings proved that Russian commanders are using barrier troops to keep soldiers from retreating. The intercepted message stated that if Russian assault troops, consisting mainly of newly mobilized soldiers without experience, retreat or hesitate during an assault, their comrades will target them with drones from behind. The Russians in the recording also stated that the order comes straight from the Russian high command.
This is a brutal evolution of the traditional barrier troop concept. Rather than having soldiers posted in the rear to shoot deserters, the modern Russian army has now weaponized drones against its own men.
It’s a reflection of just how desperate Russian command has become to maintain momentum, regardless of the cost in lives or morale. It also underscores the growing reliance on untrained, poorly motivated mobilized troops, who must now fear not only the enemy, but their own forces as well.
The result was gruesome. Under threat of execution by their own drone operators, Russian troops have no choice but to continue the assaults. Through sheer numbers and forced compliance, some marginal ground was gained at an enormous human cost, but in the eyes of the Russian leadership, any movement forward, even over mountains of bodies, counts as progress.
Overall, this development underscores the extreme lengths Russia is prepared to go to break the deadlock around Lyman and Borova. With mounting troop concentrations and fresh units pouring in despite catastrophic losses, the region has become a strategic focal point. However, with such attritional human wave assaults, the Russian command is effectively undermining its own summer offensive plans, as they are exhausting their manpower resources and risk having no critical buildup of reserves needed for a breakthrough.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
