Ukraine says it forced 250 Russian soldiers to surrender in daring operation

Ukraine claims to have successfully captured over 250 Russian soldiers through a daring operation known as "Vivaldi." This counteroffensive effort, which has taken place in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, has provided a glimmer of hope amidst a challenging period for the country. A video shared by Ukraine's Third Army Corps depicts the surrendering Russian troops, walking through a forest in single file and subjected to an improvised roll call by their Ukrainian captors.

The prisoners express their desire to avoid dying in vain and describe the dire conditions they faced after running out of supplies. While CNN cannot independently verify the video or Ukraine's claims, Russian military bloggers have acknowledged the Ukrainian advances and raised concerns over reported command failures and supply shortages.

The past four months have been among the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, with Russian airstrikes leaving cities in ruins. Operation Vivaldi has showcased Ukraine's innovative use of technology, particularly drones and armored personnel carriers. During an assault operation, Ukrainian forces successfully airdropped robotic systems equipped with heavy guns more than 10 kilometers behind Russian lines, attacking the enemy from an unexpected direction.

These land drones are much harder to detect and intercept compared to larger military vehicles, and they have been instrumental in Operation Vivaldi. Additionally, the Third Army Corps transformed old Soviet-era armored personnel carriers into unmanned kamikaze ground vehicles, filled with explosives, in a move labeled "Trojan" tanks by Ukrainian military officials.