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Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps completed two stages of Operation Vivaldi, a covert offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast near Lyman that began in May and was kept under information silence until 15 September. The operation liberated 125 km² of territory (50 km² fully de-occupied), including Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, Serednie, Drobysheve, Derylove and Shandryholove, and forced the withdrawal of Russia's elite Rubikon drone unit.
Puntos clave
- Operation Vivaldi was a Ukrainian offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast near Lyman conducted by the 3rd Army Corps under commander Andriy Biletsky.
- The offensive began in May and was kept in full information silence; Biletsky first publicly confirmed it on 15 September 2025.
- By 15 September, 75 km² had been cleared and 10 km² de-occupied; on 20 September, Biletsky confirmed the liberation of Shandryholove, Derylove and Drobysheve, adding another 40 km².
- In total, 125 km² were returned across both stages, of which 50 km² were fully de-occupied.
- On 18 September, the 3rd Army Corps said Russia's elite Rubikon drone unit was withdrawn from the Lyman-Borova direction due to heavy losses; Russian personnel losses were reported to have grown to about 3,000.
- On 22 September, the Russian MoD claimed to have encircled Dobropillia; ISW refuted the claim, noting no evidence was provided.
- In a separate operation that began in early August, Azov units cleared Russian forces that had been accumulating in Donetsk Oblast since summer, derailing a Russian attempt to encircle Druzhkivka and strike toward Dobropillia.
- DeepState reported Ukrainian gains near Toretske on the Dobropillia direction and near Zapadne on the Kupiansk direction, while Russian small groups captured Markove and advanced near Fedorivka on the Kramatorsk direction.
Por qué importa
Operation Vivaldi is described by Ukrainian reporting as one of the most significant successful Ukrainian offensive operations of recent months: it retaken 125 km² of northern Donetsk Oblast (50 km² fully de-occupied) and halted the Russian 'northern claw' advance on the Lyman direction. According to the ISW, it disrupted Russian plans to encircle Ukraine's 'belt of fortress cities' in the Donbas. The operation also produced the first documented battlefield use of ground robotic complexes (NRK) for demining and assault support, and forced the withdrawal of Russia's elite Rubikon drone unit. A parallel Azov operation further derailed Russian attempts to encircle Druzhkivka and strike toward Dobropillia.
Qué ha ocurrido
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, commanded by Andriy Biletsky, completed two stages of Operation Vivaldi, a covert offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast near Lyman that had been underway since May under a full information-silence regime. At the start of the operation, the Corps asked Western OSINT analysts, including @moklasen and French cartographer Clément Molin, to stop publishing geolocation data; they agreed, helping keep the offensive hidden from Russian command. Biletsky first publicly confirmed the operation on 15 September 2025, reporting that 75 km² had been cleared and 10 km² de-occupied during the first stage, with Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, the outskirts of Korovii Yar and Serednie liberated. On 20 September he confirmed the second stage — the liberation of Drobysheve, Derylove and Shandryholove — adding another 40 km². In total, Ukrainian sources said 125 km² were returned, of which 50 km² fully de-occupied. According to the Defence Forces, enemy losses after the first stage amounted to about 1,500 soldiers, over 12,000 drones, and hundreds of armoured vehicles, artillery systems and vehicles; by the second stage the 3rd Corps said losses had risen to about 3,000 personnel. On 18 September the 3rd Army Corps reported that Russia's elite Rubikon drone unit had been withdrawn from the Lyman-Borova direction due to heavy losses. On 24 September, the Corps said it had become the first military unit in the world to use ground robotic complexes (NRK) for demining and assault support, clearing 30 km of routes in two nights near Shandryholove. The ISW assessed that the operation disrupted Russian attempts to encircle Ukraine's 'belt of fortress cities' in the Donbas. Separately, units of the 1st Corps of the National Guard 'Azov' ran an operation from early August that derailed a Russian attempt to reach logistics routes for encircling Druzhkivka and striking toward Dobropillia, with reported Russian losses of 237 personnel (193 killed, 44 wounded, 3 captured). DeepState also reported Ukrainian gains near Toretske on the Dobropillia direction and near Zapadne on the Kupiansk direction, while Russian small infantry groups captured Markove and advanced near Fedorivka on the Kramatorsk direction. After being stopped north of Lyman, Russian forces redeployed some troops south of Lyman and began pressing on Mykolaivka, which DeepState analyst Roman Pohorily described as a key stronghold before Sloviansk.
Cómo lo cuentan las fuentes ucranianas
Ukrainian outlets centre coverage on the 3rd Army Corps and its commander Andriy Biletsky, presenting Vivaldi as a successful, well-prepared offensive that outclassed Russian forces and as a milestone in Ukrainian drone and robotic warfare. Reporting emphasises the operation's information silence and OPSEC, including the request to Western OSINT analysts not to publish geolocations, and the fact that Russian command and milbloggers such as Rybar and Anatoliy Radov were caught unaware. DeepState analyst Roman Pohorily provides analytical context, framing Russian efforts on the Lyman direction as 'multiplied by zero' and warning of continued pressure on Mykolaivka south of Lyman. Sources contrast ISW and DeepState assessments of Russian losses with the Russian MoD's 22 September claim of encircling Dobropillia, which ISW refuted. Reporting on the parallel Azov operation highlights its disruption of a Russian attempt to encircle Druzhkivka and strike toward Dobropillia, and credits named units (12th Azov Brigade, Tuman, Shkval, Lasar's Group). Several articles focus on innovations such as the first battlefield deployment of ground robotic complexes (NRK) for demining and the 'pairs under drone cover' tactic borrowed from Russian practice.
Dónde difieren las versiones
On 22 September, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that units of its 'Centre' grouping had encircled Dobropillia and were advancing toward Oleksandrivka, without providing maps or other evidence. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) refuted the claim, and DeepState analysts reported that Ukrainian forces had instead cleared territory near Toretske on the Dobropillia direction. Ukrainian sources cite ISW and DeepState as showing Russian operational setbacks rather than the gains claimed by Moscow.
Contexto
The Ukrainian advance on the Lyman direction had been ongoing since May 2025, but was kept out of public reporting until 15 September 2025, when 3rd Army Corps commander Andrii Biletsky confirmed the offensive and named it Operation Vivaldi. Before the operation, the 3rd Army Corps spent more than half a year stabilising the front from Borova to Lyman and restructuring command, personnel, reconnaissance, drones and logistics. At the start of Vivaldi the Corps asked Western OSINT analysts, including @moklasen and Clément Molin, to stop publishing geolocations; analysts agreed, and French OSINT cartographer Clément Molin first noticed signs of fighting on the Lyman salient via satellite imagery at the end of May. Russian milbloggers such as Rybar and Anatoliy Radov reportedly republish Western OSINT content and are read by the Russian MoD, a pattern that contributed to Russian command not noticing the operation's progress. On 1 September 2025, Russia publicly claimed to have 'taken' Sviatohirsk while its General Staff and Vladimir Putin were reportedly unaware of the Ukrainian operation near Lyman. After being stopped north of Lyman, Russian forces redeployed some troops south of Lyman and began pressing on Mykolaivka, which DeepState analyst Roman Pohorily described as a key stronghold before Sloviansk.