Operation Vivaldi Phase IV frees three villages, thwarts Russian pincer move

On October 14, Ukraine's Third Army Corps announced the retaking of an additional 101 square kilometers during the fourth phase of Operation Vivaldi on the Lyman sector in Donetsk Oblast. The liberated villages include Zelena Dolyna, Lypove, and Kolodiazi. According to Biletskyi, Russia suffered around 3,000 casualties in the operation.

The successful defense of the crucial logistics artery in the Donbas region thwarted the offensive by the group Zapad, which forced it to transfer some units from the 1st Tank Army. This action weakened the pressure on Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi. In total, Operation Vivaldi has resulted in the liberation of 16 settlements and 277 square kilometers from Russian control.

Biletskyi stated that although four seasons of Vivaldi are concluded, the efforts persist. On September 15, the 3rd Army Corps had launched a series of counterattacks north of the Lyman front-line city, causing significant damage to the combat capabilities of Russia's 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies. The Ukrainian military claims that drone strikes have pushed Russian supply hubs across the state border.

The battle for the core of the Donbas fortress belt, encompassing Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka, remains vital as winter approaches, when Russia aims to solidify its urban-based hold to prepare for a potential 2027 offensive.