How Ukraine Scored Major Frontline Breakthrough by Fooling Russia

Live updates

1. 58m ago

   Ukraine pushes Russian forces back around Lyman in Operation Vivaldi

   Ukrainian forces achieved a frontline breakthrough around Lyman in the Donbas through Operation Vivaldi. This maneuver pushed Russian troops back from their positions and shifted the battlefield dynamic. Both armies are currently massing troops in preparation for subsequent engagements further south. While the operation demonstrated the continued utility of tanks in modern warfare, the full scale of the territorial gains is being tracked via updated battlefield maps.

   Why it matters

   The Donbas region remains a primary theater of conflict where control of key hubs like Lyman impacts logistics. Operation Vivaldi represents a strategic attempt to reclaim territory through deception and armored advances.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Ukraine pushed Russian forces back around Lyman in the Donbas via Operation Vivaldi.
   • Both armies are massing troops for future battles farther south.
   • Operation Vivaldi involved fooling Russian forces to achieve a breakthrough.

   What to watch next

   • Confirmation of the specific acreage or towns captured during Operation Vivaldi.
   • Movement of massed troops toward southern battle zones.
   • Russian counter-offensive responses to the loss of positions around Lyman.
   Sources used for this update (5)

   1. Newsweek — Map Shows Scale of Ukraine’s New Battlefield Gains in Major Counteroffensive
   2. Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) — Ukraine Advances: The Tank Isn’t Finished Yet
   3. Institute for the Study of War — Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 17, 2026
   4. Meduza — Ukraine’s ‘Operation Vivaldi’ pushed Russian forces back around Lyman in the Donbas. Now both armies are massing troops for the next battles farther south.
   5. Newsweek — How Ukraine Scored Major Frontline Breakthrough by Fooling Russia
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