Ukraine tried to copy Russia’s battlefield tactics – and walked into a trap

Behind Kiev’s claims of liberated territory lies a failed operation, abandoned assault teams and an increasingly unstable southern front Last week, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, along with the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Mikhail Drapaty, visited a section of the front line in Dnepropetrovsk region.

Zelensky stated that this year, the AFU has almost completely regained control of Dnepropetrovsk Region, with only about 10 square kilometers of territory remaining under Russian control.

What is the logic behind this PR campaign? Did the AFU really make progress in this direction? What were the real goals of the Ukrainian operation, and to what extent have they been achieved? We explore all this below.

Read more America lost its longest war five years ago.

This is what victory looks like for the Taliban Strategic hub The southern sector is the most strategically important part of the 1,500-kilometer-long front.

On one end it borders the Dnieper River, while the other end stretches northeast to Pokrovsk, where, as it is generally considered, the central sector of the front begins.

In 2023, Ukraine’s only strategic offensive took place in this area.

The AFU’s aim was to reach the sea and cut off the land corridor to the Crimea by means of two decisive blows.

If successful, this operation would have radically worsened the situation for the Russian army and, according to Kiev’s plans, changed the course of the conflict.

Even though the 2023 offensive failed, this section of the front did not become less important for the AFU.

In the spring of 2026, with the aim of cutting off supply routes to the Crimea, the AFU launched a middle strike campaign, particularly targeting the highway located 50-70 km from the front line.

These attempts have so far proven unsuccessful.

For Russia, the southern sector of the front is extremely important for three reasons.

Firstly, as the front is pushed further north, Ukrainian middle strikes become less effective.