“Chasing away vipers”: Ukrainian special forces retake Andriivka-Klevtsove, capture 30 Russian soldiers

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) have reclaimed the settlement of Andriivka-Klevtsove, located on the border between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, and seized 30 Russian soldiers, the SOF reported on August 17. This operation is part of Ukraine's eight-month counteroffensive along the Oleksandrivka axis, in which Ukrainian forces have retaken a total of 745 square kilometers and 26 villages across Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

The offensive has pushed Russian forces out of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast after months of Russian advances toward the region. Russian forces infiltrated Andriivka-Klevtsove, previously called Iskra during Soviet times, through small groups and established positions within the settlement. According to the SOF, Russian troops had been creeping into the area in small groups and occupying areas along the Oleksandrivka axis.

Ukrainian special forces, operating alongside an SOF psychological operations center, executed a coordinated assault to evict Russian forces from the settlement. Footage released by the SOF illustrates the ground phase of the operation, depicting Ukrainian special forces advancing through the settlement and compelling Russian troops to abandon their positions.

Thirty Russian servicemen surrendered and were taken as prisoners of war, while any remaining resistance resulted in the death of the Russian troops. Following the successful reclamation, Ukrainian special forces raised the Ukrainian flag and carried out a traditional local ritual known as "Chasing Away Vipers," symbolizing the symbolic cleansing of the settlement from Russian forces, whom they refer to as "real vipers."

This victory adds to Ukraine's progress on the Oleksandrivka axis, where Kyiv announced on August 12 that Ukrainian forces had recaptured a staggering 745 square kilometers and 26 villages during the counteroffensive, which commenced on January 29. The operation aimed to halt Russia's push toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and drive Russian forces beyond the administrative border.

Ukrainian forces reported that Russian forces incurred at least 9,550 casualties, including killed and wounded. The US-based Institute for the Study of War evaluated that the Ukrainian advances demonstrate Kyiv's ability to still conduct significant tactical advances and reestablish limited mechanized maneuver on parts of the front.