Ukrainians encircle 100 Russian soldiers as the Russian withdrawal backfires

Today, there is dangerous news from the Liman direction.

Here, Russia’s withdrawal from its collapsed bridgehead west of the Zherebets River has left a dangerous problem behind. Despite earlier Russian reports claiming that approximately three hundred soldiers remaining inside the salient had successfully escaped before Ukrainian forces closed the pocket, new battlefield information indicates that a substantial Russian force remained around Kolodiazi. More than one hundred soldiers are now trapped there, turning what the Russian command presented as an organized withdrawal into another serious complication following its defeat north of Liman.

If we take a look at the topographic map, we can see that the geography makes their situation particularly difficult, as Kolodiazi lies on low terrain, while recent Ukrainian advances have secured elevated positions overlooking the settlement from all directions. By penetrating the Russian flanks and capturing these strongpoints, Ukrainian troops effectively gained observation over both Kolodiazi and the only approach leading east toward the Zherebets River.

Most importantly, this places the remaining Russian withdrawal route under Ukrainian observation and fire control. Russian troops attempting to escape must leave their positions, cross completely open terrain, and move toward river crossings while Ukrainian reconnaissance drones watch from above. Even without Ukrainian infantry overlooking every Russian position, this creates an effective tactical encirclement because the practical escape corridor can be attacked at any point.

However, time is also working against the Russians. Ukrainian assault troops are already clearing the southern parts of Kolodiazi. Fighting has heavily damaged the settlement, leaving increasingly few protected positions where isolated Russian groups can conceal themselves. Remaining inside, therefore, means waiting while Ukrainian infantry, reconnaissance drones, and FPV’s systematically locate their positions.

Running toward the river may be even more dangerous, as Russian soldiers would have to cross open ground where Ukrainian drone operators could identify even individual soldiers and pursue them, while moving in larger formations would make detection even easier.

This is precisely the opposite of what Russia intended when it abandoned the salient, as the withdrawal was supposed to preserve manpower before Ukrainian forces completed their pincer movement, allowing surviving troops to establish a new defensive line closer to the river. Instead, these same Russian forces that were supposed to do this appear to have become concentrated inside a deadlier, smaller pocket.

That concentration makes Ukrainian targeting easier, as artillery, drones, and other strike assets no longer need to search across the entire former bridgehead. Russian troops are compressed around a much narrower area, while Ukrainian forces occupy advantageous terrain surrounding and cutting off their only remaining way out.

Their potential loss would have consequences beyond the soldiers themselves, as Russian attempts to entrench along the western approaches to the Zherebets and prevent Ukraine from immediately exploiting the retreat are hopeless. If those Russian troops are killed, captured, or forced into disorderly attempts to escape, their command loses exactly the manpower intended to stabilize its new defensive line. The Russian defeat north of Liman has therefore potentially become worse after the withdrawal itself, which abandoned almost two hundred square kilometers of territory that already caused thousands of Russian losses to be captured in the first place.

Overall, when Ukraine clears this pocket completely, Russia will lose its remaining foothold west of the river and therefore its stepping stone for another westward offensive. Any future attempt to rebuild the salient would require Russian troops to cross the Zherebets again. Ukrainian forces know where those crossings can occur and continuously monitors them with reconnaissance drones, FPV's, and artillery. Russia’s organized retreat leaves not a stabilized frontline, but even a great disaster, with Ukraine reaching the river and forcing any renewed Russian advance to begin again from the opposite bank.