Key Facts
- Primary dates
- 5–13 May 2022
- Deadliest engagement
- 10 May 2022 — full BTG destroyed
- Russian formation
- 74th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, 41st CAA
- Ukrainian formations
- 30th Mechanized Brigade and 17th Tank Brigade
- Crossing sites
- Dronivka, Bilohorivka, and Serebrianka
Strategic Narrative Overview
Ukrainian forces successfully repelled numerous Russian crossing attempts along the Siverskyi Donets river throughout early May 2022. The most decisive moment came on 10 May, when tanks of the 30th Mechanized Brigade and artillery of the 17th Tank Brigade destroyed an entire Russian battalion tactical group caught in the open during a crossing attempt, in what military observers described as a catastrophic loss for Russian forces.
01 / The Origins
As part of Russia's broader 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces sought to advance on the eastern front near Lyman and Sievierodonetsk. Controlling the Siverskyi Donets river was strategically vital for Russian logistics and offensive momentum in the Donbas. Russian units of the 41st Combined Arms Army repeatedly attempted to establish bridgeheads across the river to enable a deeper push into Ukrainian-held territory.
03 / The Outcome
The series of failed crossings resulted in a significant Russian defeat, with at least one full battalion tactical group eliminated. The engagements halted Russian momentum in the area around Bilohorivka and Dronivka. The episode damaged Russian operational capability on that section of the eastern front and was widely cited as evidence of Ukrainian artillery effectiveness and the high cost of unsupported river assault operations.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.