Full Breakdown
Operation Vivaldi Phase Three: Ukrainian Counter-offensive Reclaims Key Donetsk Villages
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Core Event
In the third “season” of Operation Vivaldi, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps launched a deception-driven assault in the Donetsk region. The corps cleared roughly 51 km² (about 20 square miles) of occupied territory, retaking the settlements of Nove, Ridkodub and Katerynivka and restoring full control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. Ukrainian officials report that the operation inflicted approximately 2,000 Russian personnel casualties and resulted in the capture of 250 Russian soldiers.
Background & Context
Operation Vivaldi is a phased counter-assault aimed at rolling back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. The third phase focused on a bridgehead around Nove, which Ukrainian commanders described as a “key Russian hub” that offered high-ground advantage. By misleading Russian forces about the main axis of attack, Ukraine sought to force the enemy to expend reserves defending a false target before striking the true objective.
Data & Statistics
- Territory reclaimed: 51 km² (? 20 sq mi) in phase three; total Ukrainian-controlled area after three phases = 176 km².
- Russian casualties: ~2,000 killed or wounded in the third phase; total Russian losses on this front over three phases > 5,000.
- Prisoners taken: 250 Russian soldiers captured during the operation.
- Daily neutralizations: Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces reported neutralizing more than 500 Russian troops each day, with losses again exceeding 2,000 personnel by the morning of September 28.
- Innovations employed: Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) equipped with grenade launchers, delivered to forward positions by heavy bomber drones, were used to strike Russian positions while minimizing infantry exposure.
Official Statements & Responses
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, explained that Ukrainian planners deliberately fed false battlefield information to Russian commanders, causing them to concentrate forces along the Shandryholove–Zelena Dolyna axis. Biletskyi also noted that entire Russian units, including officers and pilots, surrendered, and he expressed hope that the captured soldiers could be exchanged for Ukrainian personnel held by Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky, referencing the broader Vivaldi campaign, affirmed that “the occupiers continue to be eliminated, and the designated objectives are being achieved.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
One source cites 2,000 Russian casualties incurred during the third phase of Operation Vivaldi, while another reports that Russian losses exceeded 10,000 killed and wounded over the past week. The differing figures reflect distinct reporting windows—phase-specific versus a broader weekly tally—and no independent verification is provided for either number.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The enemy was convinced that the main axis of attack was Shandryholove–Zelena Dolyna,” — Andrii Biletskyi
- “The idea that ‘Russians don’t surrender’ from movies in practice turned into entire units surrendering in full — including officers, pilots and artillerymen,” — Andrii Biletskyi
- “The occupiers continue to be eliminated, and the designated objectives are being achieved,” — Volodymyr Zelensky, to ukrainian president
Why It Matters
Regaining the high-ground around Nove gives Ukrainian forces a tactical foothold that threatens Russian supply lines and complicates Moscow’s plans to pressure Kramatorsk from multiple directions. The successful use of deception and unmanned systems demonstrates an evolving Ukrainian approach that emphasizes force preservation while inflicting disproportionate losses on the opponent. Continued Ukrainian advances under Operation Vivaldi are cited by officials as justification for sustained international support.