Today, the biggest news comes from the Lyman direction, Donetsk Oblast.
Here, Ukrainian soldiers, jointly with American volunteers, are conducting clearing operations against Russian positions concealed among the trees. What appears to be a mere woodland sweep is actually part of a planned effort to protect the approaches to Lyman before Russian forces can regroup and push forward again.
Ukrainian forces target Russian forest hideouts near Lyman
Ukraine’s goal in this area is to remove every remaining Russian position inside the forest belt that leads toward Lyman. This terrain has long enabled Russian groups to move slowly and carefully toward the town, using natural cover to infiltrate without being detected. Most Russian infiltration groups deploy in this wooded terrain, where the uneven ground and natural obstacles allow small teams to hide their movements and pressure Ukrainian lines.
Clearing the forest belts forces Russian units to remain closer to Yampil, where the terrain is far more open and exposed. In that environment, Ukrainian drone operators and artillery teams can monitor them with far greater ease and respond much more quickly to any attempt to move forward.
Ukraine plans to carry out this task through small, well-coordinated assault groups made up of special operations soldiers, reconnaissance teams, and American volunteers who have been fighting alongside Ukrainian units for months. These teams rely on drone operators who guide them through the forest and help them locate trenches, dugouts, or even Russian soldiers waiting in cover.
Winter shifts battlefield advantage to Ukrainian side
Russia still benefits from a larger number of available troops, and the forest environment amplifies this advantage. The dense trees and low visibility along the ground provide Russian assault groups with abundant cover for infiltration, allowing them to move closer before they are detected. The same terrain also weakens FPV drone signals unless fiber-optic guidance is used, and it limits conventional Ukrainian drones to flying above the treetops with reduced visibility in turn.
Ukraine, however, is gaining new advantages as winter approaches, as the falling foliage strips the forest of cover, leaving Russian troops far more exposed. Reconnaissance drones now spot movements earlier, providing commanders with clearer information and smoother coordination with assault teams.
Meanwhile, the longer ground-level sight lines allow snipers to target positions that were previously hidden in summer. At the same time, Ukraine’s highly motivated and better-trained units, including special forces and experienced foreign volunteers, often face poorly prepared Russian conscripts rather than capable defenders, which helps offset Russia’s numerical advantage.
American volunteer persuades Russian soldiers to surrender
These changes are visible in the recent clearing operations. In the first video, a Ukrainian assault team moves steadily through the Lymanskyi forest as they approach a concealed Russian hideout. An American volunteer assists in clearing the position and persuades four Russian soldiers to surrender. His calm use of Ukrainian, along with the basic Russian he has learned, helps reassure the captured soldiers and reduces the chance that they will panic or resist after surrendering.
In the footage, the loss of foliage is already evident, revealing a terrain that is far easier for Ukrainian forces to read and move through than it was in summer. In the second video near Yampil, Ukrainian special operations forces detect a Russian sabotage group attempting to move through the forest. They intercept the team before it can advance any further and eliminate three fighters during the engagement.
After securing the area, they collect the enemy’s equipment and document the scene. A separate moment in the footage shows a precise sniper shot that demonstrates how the improved winter sight lines allow Ukrainian marksmen to engage targets at longer distances. The clearer view between the trees and steady coordination with live aerial surveillance play a significant role in making this possible.
Forest clearing campaign holds line at Lyman
Overall, the clearing operations around Lyman indicate that Ukraine is slowly stabilizing this forest sector. Ukraine is using the changing season, improved visibility, and the steady teamwork of mixed assault groups to reduce Russia’s ability to infiltrate the area. These conditions give Ukrainian forces a better chance to detect and stop Russian movements before they become a threat. The actions may seem small, but they are vital for protecting Lyman, and the fact that Russia has not advanced toward the town in over a month shows that Ukraine’s efforts are holding the sector steady.
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.
