Key facts
- Ukrainian forces launched "Operation Vivaldi," a counteroffensive north of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast.
- Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi confirmed the operation on Sept. 15.
- Ukrainian troops cleared 75 square kilometers and liberated 10 square kilometers, including the village of Serednie.
- The offensive reportedly struck Russian 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies.
- Russian military bloggers suggest Ukrainian forces may have reached the Zherebets River.
- Biletskyi refuted claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Sviatohirsk had been captured by Russian forces.
Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive operation, codenamed "Vivaldi," north of the front-line city of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, according to Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the 3rd Army Corps. Biletskyi confirmed on Sept. 15 that the operation, conducted under strict information silence, had cleared 75 square kilometers of Russian forces and liberated 10 square kilometers, including the village of Serednie.
The operation is reported to have dealt a significant blow to the combat capabilities of Russia's 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies, with Ukrainian drone strikes pushing Russian supply hubs across the state border. Some Russian military bloggers suggest the Ukrainian advance may have reached the Zherebets River, near the border with Luhansk Oblast.
Biletskyi also refuted claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had captured the town of Sviatohirsk, stating that the town was deep within Ukrainian rear areas and that Russian military leadership should "stop making fools of yourselves."
The 3rd Army Corps, one of Ukraine's largest and most combat-effective units, was transferred to the Lyman area in summer 2024. Biletskyi's command was promoted to lead the newly formed 3rd Army Corps in February 2025 as part of an army-wide reform. The corps has worked to integrate new brigades and share resources.
Russian forces had increased pressure on the Lyman area, moving west over summer 2025 and bringing the Izium-Sloviansk highway within range of Russian FPV drones. In early September 2022, Ukraine conducted a significant counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, leading to the liberation of Lyman on Oct. 1, 2022, after Russia declared the annexation of Donetsk Oblast.