Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the command post of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Lyman sector running across Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to award soldiers and meet brigade comannders on Sept. 30.
Zelensky thanked the troops for returning more than 125 square kilometers of territory from Russian occupation to Ukrainian control, in cooperation with other units of the Third Army Corps as part of Operation Vivaldi.
“Thank you for protecting our state, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” he said.
In his talks with the commanders, the President discussed issues of procurement, especially pick-up trucks for brigades, and increasing funding for drones, simplifying procurement, and expanding staffing, Zelensky said. He also highlighted the need for long-range artillery.
Ukrainian forces under the command of the 3rd Army Corps liberated three villages in northern Donetsk Oblast as part of the ongoing Operation Vivaldi, corps commander, Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi said on Sept 28.
The villages of Ridkodub, Nove, and Katerynivka were liberated, while full Ukrainian control was restored over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka.
This phase, described as the “third season” of Operation Vivaldi, inflicted over 2,000 Russian losses and saw over 250 Russian soldiers taken prisoner, according to Biletskyi.
The two previous “seasons” of Operation Vivaldi were each announced in similar updates, first on Sept. 15 when the offensive was given its name, and then on Sept. 20, when the liberation of the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove were announced.
The operation is a rare example of offensive success on the Ukrainian side, achieved despite a major disadvantage in manpower and the domination of the drone-based “kill zone” above the front line.
According to the 3rd Corps, success has been enabled by the repression of Russian drone assets and logistics, and the creative use of technology, including ground drones.