Ukraine's Third Army Corps regained 51 square kilometers of territory and captured more than 250 Russian soldiers during the third phase of Operation Vivaldi in the Donetsk region.
The operation has now reclaimed a total of 176 square kilometers since it began, with five settlements liberated: Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka, and Novomykhailivka.
The corps said the offensive inflicted heavy casualties on Russian forces, with an estimated 2,000 personnel lost and over 250 troops taken prisoner.
Nove Was the Main Objective
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, identified Nove as the main objective of this phase.
He described it as a critical Russian hub on the bridgehead, adding that control of the surrounding high ground was essential to maintaining the initiative.
Biletskyi said the enemy believed the main attack direction was Shandryholove–Zelena Dolyna, forcing them to burn through reserves in counterattacks there.
According to him, the Russians missed the real strike, which was focused on taking Nove.
To breach Russian defenses, Ukrainian forces converted Soviet-era BTR-60 armored personnel carriers into remotely operated strike vehicles to destroy heavily fortified positions.
Biletskyi added that Russian troops surrendered in entire units, including officers, drone pilots, and artillery personnel.
Operation Vivaldi was initiated on September 15 as a counteroffensive in northern Donetsk.
Its first phase cleared 75 square kilometers of Russian positions and reclaimed several settlements while inflicting notable losses.
The operation also integrated new unmanned systems tactics, including an attack on September 24 using unmanned ground vehicles deployed by heavy bomber drones more than 10 kilometers behind Russian lines.
