Ukraine reveals new Operation Vivaldi gains in Donetsk Oblast

Live updates

1. 52m ago

   Ukraine Recaptures 125 Square Kilometers in Donetsk During Operation Vivaldi

   Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps has recaptured 125 square kilometers in the Donetsk region as part of Operation Vivaldi. The offensive pushed Russian forces back around Lyman and liberated the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove. To support these gains, the 3rd Army Corps deployed air-dropped kamikaze unmanned ground vehicles for the first time. Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are now massing troops for subsequent engagements further south in the Donbas.

   Why it matters

   The operation represents a significant shift in momentum within the Donetsk Oblast, where Russia previously sought total control of the Donbas. The use of new robotic weaponry indicates an evolution in Ukrainian tactical deployment during counteroffensives.

   What is confirmed

   • Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps recaptured 125 square kilometers in the Donetsk region during Operation Vivaldi.
   • Operation Vivaldi pushed Russian forces back around Lyman in the Donbas.
   • Ukrainian forces liberated the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove in the Donetsk region.
   • Both armies are currently massing troops for future battles further south.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps deployed air-dropped kamikaze UGVs for the first time during the Donetsk offensive.

   What to watch next

   • Movement of massed troops toward southern Donbas targets
   • Confirmation of additional village liberations in Donetsk Oblast
   Sources used for this update (12)

   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. Ukrinform — Ukrainian Defense Forces liberate Shandryholove and Derylove in Donetsk region — Biletskyi
   6. The Kyiv Independent — Ukraine reveals new Operation Vivaldi gains in Donetsk Oblast
   7. UNITED24 Media — Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps Recaptures 125 Sq Km in "Operation Vivaldi" in Donetsk Region
   8. Futura Doctrina | Mick Ryan — Vivaldi’s First Season, Faster Drones, Slower Diplomacy and an Authoritarian Confrontation Without End, The Big Five 20 September edition
   9. Українська правда — Operation Vivaldi: Two villages liberated from Russian occupation, another fully under Ukrainian control
   10. Sam Freedman | Substack — Operation Vivaldi and the Battle for Donetsk
   11. Українська правда — Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps deploys air-dropped kamikaze UGV for the first time during offensive in Donetsk Obla
   12. UNITED24 Media — Putin Wants Ukraine to Hand Over the Donbas. Now Russia Is Losing Ground There Instead
   confidence 90%