Key facts
- Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps liberated 40 square kilometers of territory in Donetsk Oblast.
- Villages of Shandryholove and Derylove were liberated.
- Drobysheve is under full Ukrainian control.
- Operation Vivaldi is the 3rd Army Corps' offensive operation around Lyman.
- Russian forces were reportedly pushed back to the Zherebets River.
- Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit was pulled from the front line after heavy losses.
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps announced on September 20 that it has liberated an additional 40 square kilometers of territory in Donetsk Oblast as part of its ongoing Operation Vivaldi offensive. Commander Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi stated that the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove have been reclaimed, and Drobysheve is now under full Ukrainian control. Shandryholove is described as a critical point for both Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Operation Vivaldi, which began publicly on September 15, is focused on the area around Lyman in northern Donetsk Oblast. While details from Ukraine have been limited for operational security, Russian military bloggers have reported that Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops back to the Zherebets River, potentially reversing significant Russian advances.
The 3rd Army Corps detailed that assault groups moved stealthily through terrain to breach defenses, with units coordinating to hold flanks and prevent counterattacks. The corps also reported that Russia had withdrawn units of its elite Rubicon drone formation from the front line due to heavy losses. Earlier, on September 17, Biletskyi had stated that the "northern pincer" of Russia's efforts to surround Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast had been "routed and destroyed."