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Counteroffensive of Ukrainian Forces in the Donetsk; they reached the villages of Myrne and Komar

Duration: 3:51 508 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Ukrainian defense forces have successfully continued their counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, achieving significant territorial gains by reaching the villages of Myrne and Komar within the Donetsk region. French military analyst Clement Molin reported that active combat is currently occurring on the outskirts of Komar, a location situated in what he describes as a "gray zone" where neither side maintains firm control. While Ukrainian troops have crossed the Mokra Yaly river to advance in two directions, they now hold partial control over Podivne north of Myrne and maintain dominance over other villages to the north, although fighting persists in Voskresenka south of Myrne as a disputed area. This offensive marks a major shift following Russia's attempt to establish a buffer zone across the administrative borders of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts earlier in 2026. After repelling Russian advances that began in February, Ukrainian units launched large-scale counteroffensive actions in late January, catching the Kremlin off guard while it prepared its own spring-summer campaign focused on the fortress belt in Donetsk. By early March, these efforts resulted in the liberation of almost all previously occupied areas within Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and a continued push forward, effectively halting Russia's offensive near Orikhiv and south of Zaporizhzhia while threatening the entirety of Moscow's planned spring-summer strategy. The success of this operation was attributed to several critical factors, including the element of surprise, dense fog that hindered enemy FPV drone operators, and communication disruptions caused by interference with Starlink systems. The campaign was meticulously planned and coordinated by air assault forces operating under experienced military command structures, a model highlighted as highly effective by Roman Pohorilyi of the Deep State Analytical Project. These tactical advantages not only secured immediate ground but also exposed deep-seated vulnerabilities within the Russian army, demonstrating how Ukrainian precision could disrupt enemy operations before they fully materialized. Furthermore, intelligence sources revealed serious deficiencies in Russian military planning and situational awareness during this conflict. A specific incident involving a commission from Russia's 29th Army headquarters illustrates these problems: after requesting to see combat maps at the command post of the 36th Motor Rifle Brigade, drone reconnaissance flights confirmed that the provided maps did not match reality on the ground. This discrepancy showed that Russian forces believed they controlled significantly more territory than they actually held, a critical intelligence failure that likely contributed to their inability to respond effectively to the Ukrainian counteroffensive and ultimately led to the collapse of their defensive lines in these regions.

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Ukrainian defense forces continue their counteroffensive in the south of the country and have already reached the villages of Murne and Komar in the Donetsk region. French military analyst Clement Molin reported this on his social media account. Molin believes that fighting with Russian occupiers is currently taking place on the outskirts of Komar. Ukrainian fighters previously crossed the Mokra Yaly river to advance in two directions. According to the military analyst, Komar is located in the so-called gray zone, meaning neither side has firm control over it. The village of Podivne, north of Murne, is partially under Ukrainian armed forces control, according to Molin. All other villages to the north are controlled by the Ukrainian army, while Voskresenka, south of Murne, is a disputed area over which fighting is ongoing with the Russian occupiers. As a reminder, in October 2025, the Ukrainian analytical project Deep State, affiliated with the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, reported that Russian troops had occupied Murne and Komar. Following this, the Russian occupiers attempted to create a buffer zone on the administrative border of the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts, but the Ukrainian armed forces repelled them during a counteroffensive that began in February 2026. In late January, Ukraine's defense forces launched something not seen for some time, large-scale counteroffensive actions. While the Kremlin was preparing its spring-summer campaign with its main blow aimed at the fortress belt in Donetsk oblast, Ukrainian units unexpectedly attacked in the south along the border between Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. As a result, according to Oleksandr Komarenko, head of the Main Operational Directorate of the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces. By early March, the defense forces had liberated almost all previously occupied areas of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and continued advancing. The counteroffensive, according to military expert Victor Kevlyuk, produced tactical, operational, and strategic effects. Russia's Dnieper Group has effectively halted its offensive near Orikhiv and south of Zaporizhzhia. Moreover, the Kremlin's entire spring-summer offensive plan is now under threat. Experts say the success was made possible by several factors. >> [music] >> The surprise factor, dense fog that prevented enemy FPV drone operators from operating effectively, >> [music] >> and Russian communication problems caused by disruptions to Starlink. The operation had been planned and coordinated by the air assault forces. Roman Pohorilyi, co-founder of the Deep State Analytical Project, explained in an interview with Radio NV. In his view, this demonstrates the effectiveness of a model in which assault units operate under the command of an experienced branch of the military with the necessary infrastructure. Nevertheless, the counteroffensive exposed serious problems within the Russian army. To illustrate them, Kevlyuk cited a story from intelligence sources. A commission from the headquarters of Russia's 29th Army arrived at the command post of the 36th Motor Rifle Brigade and asked to [music] see the combat map. After conducting a drone reconnaissance flight over the same area, it discovered the map did not match reality. Russian forces controlled a much smaller area than they believed.