The Ukrainian army has successfully pushed back Russian forces and captured over 250 prisoners of war on the Eastern front. This news was announced by General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Corps of the Ukrainian army.
Details of the Operation
Biletsky stated that Russian soldiers have surrendered en masse, and this success has been achieved as part of the third phase of the carefully planned Vivaldi operation in the Donetsk region. At this stage, 51 square kilometers of land have been reclaimed, bringing the total reclaimed land in the Vivaldi operation to 176 square kilometers.
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This operation demonstrates that Ukraine can capitalize on some of Russia's advances. Additionally, this success holds significance beyond the battlefield, as Kyiv views these counterattacks as evidence for its allies, particularly the Trump administration, that Russian advances in Donetsk are not inevitable.
Use of Modern Technologies
In this operation, Ukraine emphasized the use of unmanned technologies to protect its forces. This includes the use of small ground robots that are air-dropped behind Russian lines and converting BTR-60 armored vehicles into kamikaze robots by filling them with explosives.
Biletsky added that the Third Corps has deceived Russian forces into believing that Ukraine's main attack would be towards Shendryholove and Zelena Dolyna, thus relocating their reserves there, while Ukraine has attacked towards Nova.
The results of this operation undermine the theory of Russian victory, which is based on efforts to turn local advances in the Donetsk region into strategic successes. Biletsky stated, "This meant a loss of Russian reserves, as they foolishly burned against counterattacks in that sector."
Implications Beyond the Battlefield
Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, referred to the overall picture of the battlefield, stating, "In total, this week, across all sections of active operations on the front, our units have killed and wounded 10,660 Russian forces." This means preventing further aggressive activities by Russia against Ukraine.
The Vivaldi operation also sends a message to the Trump administration, which has resumed its efforts to end the war using its special envoys Jared Kushner and Steven Witkoff. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense has described Ukraine's success near Lyman as a smokescreen for "Kyiv's Western handlers" and claimed that there has been no progress in this regard.
Biletsky, the commander of the Third Corps, announced that the Vivaldi operation will continue with a name derived from the works of Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian composer.
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