Inside Operation Vivaldi — how Ukraine uses drones, robots to liberate territory in Donetsk Oblast

In late summer, the 3rd Army Corps and attached units are actively participating in a counteroffensive in the Lyman sector, known as Operation Vivaldi. Russian forces have been attempting to reclaim Lyman, a city in Donetsk Oblast that they claim to control. Ukrainian troops on the ground claim that the operation has not been widely publicized.

On September 15, Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi, the commander of the 3rd Army Corps, announced the operation publicly. By late September, the corps reported that it had reclaimed 176 square kilometers of territory using coordinated infantry, air defense, electronic warfare, aerial drone units, and unmanned ground vehicles.

A reconnaissance drone on screen shows two Ukrainian soldiers in pixel camouflage moving through the rubble of apartment buildings. The drone operators from the 66th Mechanized Brigade are awaiting a batch of Darts, fixed-wing strike drones, to join the Lyman offensive. Their commander, Deputat, rushes to bring the drones, with his car navigating through anti-drone netting and pine forests.

The crew, consisting of four men, operates in a cramped shelter, less than 10 kilometers from the front line. The gray zone is less than 10 kilometers away.

The crew prepares for a combined strike against a Russian artillery position using HIMARS rockets and drones. During a call, a soldier jokingly says, "If I were in their shoes, I'd hop on a motorcycle and get the hell out of there." The Ukrainian soldiers respond with laughter, believing the Russian crew would abandon their howitzer due to fear of their own commanders.

The crew member, Kalash, who is the oldest and often called "Mom," cooks breakfast while the other members joke and prepare for the mission. Once the strike begins, the drone operators cheer as their target is destroyed, with the Ukrainians reporting that Russian soldiers attempt to put out the fire but ultimately fail.