- Will Russia capture all of Lyman by December 31, 2026?4¢
Ukrainian forces have conducted a sustained counteroffensive north of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast through Operation Vivaldi, recapturing over 277 square kilometers and 16 settlements by mid-October 2026, including recent gains in Zelena Dolyna, Lypove, and Kolodiazi. This has disrupted Russian attempts to advance toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk defensive belt, forced redeployments from other sectors, and reversed earlier Russian territorial progress in the area. Russian units continue limited offensive probes near Lyman but have not achieved encirclement or major breakthroughs, while Ukrainian counterattacks and logistical pressure have stabilized and improved the front line. These battlefield shifts, combined with high Russian casualties reported in the sector, shape trader assessments of any near-term Russian capture of the city. Scheduled winter conditions and ongoing force concentrations on both sides remain key variables within typical resolution windows.
Rules
This market will resolve to “Yes” if, according to the ISW map, Russia captures the entirety of Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, (48.990595° N, 37.805666° E) between market creation and the specified date, 11:59 PM ET. Lyman will be considered captured if the entirety of the municipality is shaded under a below specified layer on the ISW map (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36a7f6a6f5a9448496de641cf64bd375) by the resolution date. Otherwise, the market will resolve to “No”. The boundaries of the municipality are those shown under the “Ukrainian Settlements” layer on the ISW map. If all area within the municipality is shaded under a qualifying layer, however, the shading does not precisely match up with the border such that there is a tiny amount of unshaded area along the border of the municipality, this will still qualify for a "Yes" resolution. For any change on the ISW map to qualify for this market’s resolution, the relevant shading must persist through the next full ISW daily update cycle. If ISW skips a day, shading must persist until the next finalized ISW update is published, regardless of the date. Any continuous shading under the following layers will qualify: - Assessed Russian-Controlled Terrain - Assessed Russian Advances Shading under the following layers will not qualify: - Assessed Russian Infiltration Areas - Claimed Russian Territory Once a qualifying condition is met, any subsequent loss of control will not be considered towards the resolution of this market. If Russia comes into control of the specified territory as a result of a negotiated settlement, this will qualify for a 'Yes' resolution, regardless of whether it is shaded under a qualifying layer on the ISW map. However, an announcement of a negotiated settlement that gives Russia de jure control will not qualify. Actual control must be established. The primary resolution source for this market will be the ISW Ukraine map. If the ISW map is rendered unavailable, information from DeepStateMap (https://deepstatemap.live/) may be used. If information from both the ISW and DeepStateMap are rendered permanently unavailable, a consensus of credible reporting may be used. Note: Any temporary glitches or errors in the map will not be considered.