"The Ukrainian Armed Forces Struck The Occupiers' Rear, Causing Panic Among Them"

• 15.10.2026, 16:37

New details on Operation "Vivaldi."

The Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine identified the main reason for its success in one of the largest counteroffensive operations of the entire war with Russia in the Slavyansk sector. According to the corps, strict adherence to a media blackout and asymmetric tactics allowed Ukrainian forces to seize the initiative and reclaim significant territories with fewer troops.

The main catalyst for the Russian side’s failure in the corps is said to be widespread disinformation within its own chain of command. While the Ukrainian Armed Forces maintained absolute silence, Russian commanders on the ground concealed the true state of affairs and relayed false reports upward: company commanders lied to battalions, and battalion commanders to regiments.

When the Russian army’s regular reserves were exhausted, they began sending specialists into battle whose duties did not originally include participating in assaults: logistics personnel, electronic warfare (EW) crews, and tank crews without their vehicles. In the final stage, positions were held by a human shield of wounded soldiers and foreign mercenaries, who were ordered to stand their ground to the death. Faced with the onslaught, they began to retreat chaotically and surrender en masse, which opened a window for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to advance rapidly.

Having taken the commanding heights, the corps’ fighters set up observation posts there and deployed spotters. As a result, Russian units found themselves in a low-lying area under crossfire. Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups advanced through wooded areas, skillfully bypassing enemy defensive positions.

Now, on their way to the key defensive belt around the cities, Russian troops will have to launch a head-on attack against a strong defensive line established by Ukrainian forces. As noted by the corps, this drastically reduces the risks for Ukrainian defenders and increases the losses of the attacking side.