"The Russians Surrendered In Entire Units, Along With Their Officers."
- 30.09.2026, 8:10
How Ukraine Defeated the Enemy Near Lyman During Operation "Vivaldi."
As part of Operation "Vivaldi", Ukraine, thanks to its ingenuity and unmanned systems, achieved success in its confrontation with the occupiers who were threatening a key fortress city.
Ukrainian defense forces pushed back the occupiers on a key section of the eastern front and captured more than 250 Russian soldiers.
This success marked the third phase of Operation “Vivaldi”—a carefully planned campaign to seize the initiative in the Donetsk region, according to Politico.
“The Russians were surrendering in entire units, along with officers, pilots, and artillerymen,” said General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps.
The publication added that during the final stage, the Ukrainian military liberated 51 square kilometers of territory. Thus, the total area of land returned to Ukrainian control as part of Operation “Vivaldi” reached 176 square kilometers.
“This operation… has significance that goes beyond the battlefield: Kyiv views such counterattacks as proof to its allies—and, in particular, to the Trump administration—that the slow but steady advance of Russian troops in the Donetsk region is not inevitable, but... Putin cannot simply wait for Ukrainian defenses and the West’s resolve to collapse,” the publication wrote.
It is noted that during Operation “Vivaldi,” a comprehensive coordination of drones, armored vehicles, artillery, and infantry against the occupiers, who were attempting to encircle and capture Lyman—a key node in the “belt of fortresses” that has been holding back the Russian offensive for many years.
The publication emphasized that during the operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces paid special attention to the use of unmanned systems to preserve personnel: from deploying miniature ground robots behind Russian lines to converting Soviet BTR-60 armored personnel carriers into kamikaze robots, packed with explosives and directed at Russian fortifications.
Cunning also played a significant role. According to Biletsky, the 3rd Corps misled the occupiers, making them believe that the main Ukrainian Armed Forces offensive would be directed toward Shandrigolovo and Zelenaya Dolina. This forced the Russians to commit reserves to counterattacks in that sector, while Ukraine struck in the direction of Novoye: “This led to them pointlessly squandering their reserves in counterattacks in that very sector. The Russians missed the real strike.”
At the same time, the publication noted that although the advance of Ukrainian troops was independently confirmed by analysts monitoring the situation on the front lines, the Kremlin insists that it has suffered no setbacks.
In particular, the Russian Ministry of Defense called the success near Lyman announced by Ukraine a “smokescreen” for “Kyiv’s Western backers,” claiming that what is happening in the northern part of the Donetsk region is merely a failed attempt by “small enemy assault groups” to penetrate the area.