Full Breakdown
Ukraine Launches “Operation Vivaldi” in Northern Donetsk
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Core Event
On September 15, Ukrainian forces began “Operation Vivaldi,” an offensive by the Third Army Corps in the north of the eastern Donetsk region. Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi, who has overseen defence in the area since the previous month, said the corps cleared 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi) of Russian infiltration positions and recaptured an additional 10 sq km, including the village of Serednie. The operation targets the “fortress belt” of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, cities whose capture would move Russian forces closer to controlling the entire region. Reuters noted it could not independently verify these claims.
Scope of Gains and Reported Losses
Biletskyi reported that Ukrainian troops cleared three villages—Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, and Yarova—and the outskirts of Korovyi Yar, while establishing full control of Serednie. He asserted that the offensive dealt a “heavy blow” to Russia’s 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies, claiming Russian losses of roughly 1,500 personnel, more than 12,000 drones, and hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems and other vehicles. These figures are presented as the commander’s assessment and have not been independently corroborated.
Background and Recent Frontline Shifts
The launch follows a series of Ukrainian advances across multiple sectors. An Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessment on August 26 noted Ukrainian gains in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia despite ongoing Russian offensives. A later ISW report on September 12 stated that Ukrainian forces had reversed much of the territory Russia captured since March 2026, indicating a broader counteroffensive momentum that frames Operation Vivaldi as the latest phase.
Official Statements & Responses
The Ukrainian defence ministry has not released additional commentary, and Russian officials have not publicly responded.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The third army corps has started offensive operation at this direction. The operation is called 'Vivaldi',” — General Andrii Biletskyi
- “There is now a lot of information in open sources that the ultimate goal of the operation is to reach the banks of the Chornyi Zherebets River. But our operation is called ‘Vivaldi,’ and Vivaldi, as we know, has four seasons. And this is only the first of them. […] There will be good news, but for now our actions require silence,” — General Andrii Biletskyi
