Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps says Operation Vivaldi liberated more Donetsk villages

Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps said on 28 September that it had liberated three more villages in northern Donetsk Oblast as part of Operation Vivaldi around Lyman, corps commander Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi announced, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Claimed gains and losses

Biletskyi said Ridkodub, Nove and Katerynivka were liberated and full Ukrainian control restored over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. The update cited 51 square kilometres newly liberated, bringing the officially reported total to 176 km². This “third season” of the operation inflicted over 2,000 Russian losses and saw more than 250 Russian soldiers taken prisoner, he said, adding that entire units including officers had surrendered.

AP reported the same territorial figures and that the corps said it converted Soviet-era BTR-60 APCs into kamikaze vehicles and used ground robots. Operation Vivaldi was made public on 15 September after months of limited disclosure; earlier “seasons” were announced on 15 and 20 September.

Russian claims; verification caution

Russia’s Defence Ministry separately said Russian troops captured Novovodiane in Donetsk and Ulanove in Sumy, AP reported. It was not possible to independently verify either side’s battlefield claims. Biletskyi credited deception that convinced Russian forces the main axis was elsewhere while the main strike aimed at Nove.