Ukraine Launches Operation Vivaldi to Reclaim Northern Donbas
Ukraine launched Operation Vivaldi in the northern Donbas, reclaiming dozens of square miles and thwarting Russian efforts to encircle key fortress cities.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine launched Operation Vivaldi, a multi-phase counteroffensive in the northern Donbas region that has reclaimed dozens of square miles of territory. The operation utilized robotic mine removal systems, enhanced reactive armor, and targeted strikes against Russian logistics and elite drone pilots to prevent the encirclement of Ukrainian-controlled fortress belt cities.
In the southern Donbas, Ukrainian forces stabilized defensive lines around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. These forces employed the Delta digital battlefield management system to blunt Russian infiltration tactics. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the operation resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 Russian troops and the capture of 250 others.
Russia has responded to the stalled ground offensive by escalating its air campaign, bombarding Kyiv with missiles and drones. While the Russian Defence Ministry claimed the capture of more than 2,000 square miles of territory on September 19, Western analysts report that Russian gains have slowed markedly in 2026. President Vladimir Putin continues to maintain that the fall of the Donbas is inevitable and that full Russian control of the region is a nonnegotiable condition for ending the war.
