Ukraine Retakes 176 Sq Km in Donetsk as Operation Vivaldi Disrupts Russian Offensive
Ukraine says Operation Vivaldi has retaken 176 sq km in northern Donetsk, with five more settlements taken under Ukrainian control as Russian advance grinds on
Raja Awais Ali
9/28/20265 min read
Ukraine Retakes 176 Sq Km in Donetsk as Operation Vivaldi Disrupts Russian Offensive
Ukraine says its forces have recaptured another 51 square kilometres of territory in northern Donetsk in the latest phase of the ongoing Operation Vivaldi that is set to disrupt the Russian offensive against key Ukrainian strongholds.
According to Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, Ukrainian forces gained additional territory in the latest phase of the counter-offensive and captured five more settlements. Ukraine’s military said its forces had freed Nove, Ridkodub and Katerynivka and re-established control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. “This phase is another important step for us in the current operation,” Biletskyi noted. “It is worth mentioning that we have achieved a result of 51 square kilometers in the current stage of the operation, and since the beginning of the operation, we have liberated 176 square kilometers in total.”
The latest development came after Ukraine announced Operation Vivaldi earlier this month. On September 15, Biletskyi said Ukraine’s forces had launched an operation in northern Donetsk to clear the area of Russian infiltrators. The General noted that Ukrainian forces had already managed to clear 75 square kilometers of Russian forces while an additional 10 square kilometers were liberated. Specifically, they managed to clear Russian forces from Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova and the outskirts of Korovii Yar, while also managing to free Serednie.
“In addition, it should be emphasized that information about this operation is being deliberately withheld to prevent Russia from obtaining complete information about our actions,” Biletskyi added. Ukraine’s forces announced another successful phase of the operation on September 20. On that day, they managed to free Shandryholove and Derylove and establish complete control over Drobysheve. Ukraine’s Third Army Corps also noted that another 40 square kilometers had been liberated.
The latest stage of the operation saw additional 51 square kilometers and the capture of five villages, with the total number of square kilometers freed since the beginning of the operation reaching 176.
Operation Vivaldi is being carried out in the northern Donetsk and Lyman direction, an area in which Russia is trying to make inroads to tighten the siege of Ukraine’s eastern defenses. The Institute for the Study of War noted that Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi thwarted Russia’s attempt to establish a broad encirclement of Ukraine’s fortified cities and towns, while also noting that it was an operationally significant development. ISW noted that Russia had been trying to make inroads into the Lyman axis to break through Ukraine’s defenses to the south.
“Today, we are focusing our efforts on attacking Nove, which is a strategically significant settlement for the enemy. The enemy expects us to attack Shandryholove and Zelena Dolyna and has concentrated its defenses in these directions. Our operation is designed to draw the enemy’s fire away from Shandryholove and Zelena Dolyna and focus it on Nove,” Biletskyi noted. He added that Nove is a key settlement for the defense of Donetsk and the capture of its strategic high ground would allow Ukraine to retain the initiative in the current phase of the fighting.
Ukraine’s military noted that Russia suffered significant losses as a result of the latest phase of the offensive. In particular, the Third Army Corps noted that about 2,000 Russian personnel were killed or otherwise counted among the dead, and more than 250 were captured. Notably, Ukraine did not confirm these numbers, so they should be considered preliminary estimates based on Ukrainian military reports. In addition, Ukraine noted that entire groups of the enemy, among which were officers, drone operators, and gunners, surrendered during the fighting.
Ukraine’s military noted that technology and equipment have played a significant role in the current phase of the offensive. “We have used modified BTR-60 armored vehicles, which have been converted into remote-controlled armored vehicles, to attack the most formidable Russian strongpoints,” said Biletskyi. At the same time, the general noted that Ukraine’s forces had used unmanned armored vehicles and drones in the fighting in the Lyman direction.
The current phase of the fighting in Donetsk is significant not only because of the number of liberated square kilometers but also because of the strategic impact it will have on the future of the fighting in the Donbas region. Donetsk is one of the strategically significant areas of the conflict, as Russia wants to capture it entirely, while Ukraine manages to hold about 20 percent of it. The desire of Russia to capture Donetsk has so far been one of the main points of contention in the peace talks, which have stalled, with Washington seeking to restart negotiations.
However, despite Ukraine’s success in the north, Russia continues to focus on attacking Ukraine from the south. Russian forces continue to attack Kostiantynivka, another important stronghold in the Donetsk direction, and attempt to gain control of it. The Reuters agency notes that Russia’s ability to make advances has decreased this year, but its forces continue to attack Ukraine’s defenses along multiple axes in the Donetsk region.
The importance of Ukraine’s success in the north is difficult to overestimate, as it disrupts Russia’s plan to encircle Ukraine’s defenses in the Donetsk region and break through to the cities held by Ukraine deeper in the Donbas. According to ISW, Russia has seen its plan to break through to the south foiled by Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the Lyman direction. Thus, Russia’s forces in the south had to turn to the north to try to encircle Ukraine’s defenses and break through to the Donbas region.
Operation Vivaldi has begun a few months after Ukraine announced a large-scale counter-offensive in the southeast. Kyiv’s forces managed to free more than 700 square kilometers in the fighting in the southeastern direction. However, despite Ukraine’s best efforts to drive back the Russian offensive, the front line continues to be actively contested by both sides, with each trying to use any available opportunity to gain ground. Especially with the use of unmanned systems and various artillery.
It is noteworthy that the 176 square kilometers currently held by Ukraine are only the estimates of the territory freed by Ukraine in the current phase of the fighting. The liberation of Nove, Ridkodub and Katerynivka, as well as the re-establishment of control of Karpivka and Novomykhailivka, are the latest steps in a long campaign to drive back the Russian advance. Although Ukraine’s forces continue to contest the front line, the fighting remains intense and unpredictable for the time being, with neither side able to fully liberate the contested areas.
It is clear that the situation in Donetsk will continue to be one of the most important issues in the war between Ukraine and Russia. While Ukraine focuses on countering Russia’s attempts to encircle its defenses, Russia continues to try to conquer Donetsk, which has so far been one of the main objectives of the war. Operation Vivaldi, which has so far liberated 176 square kilometers in the Donetsk region, will continue to be an important element of Ukraine’s defense, thwarting Russia’s attempts to expand its presence in the north. It remains to be seen whether Ukraine’s success in the north will lead to additional victories on the battlefield, which would allow it to stabilize the situation in the east.
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