Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Ukrainian forces liberated three more villages in northern Donetsk and restored full control over two others.
Ukrainian forces have reclaimed three more villages in northern Donetsk, adding 51 square kilometers to their retaken territory during the operation known as Operation Vivaldi.
Commander Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi, who is the leading commander of the operation, credited the win to a single tactical feint.
Russian officers took the bait completely. Believing the main thrust was heading toward Shandryholove, commanders burned through precious reserves to stop a phantom attack.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian units quietly struck their true target at Nove.
The surprise blow liberated the three villages of Nove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka and allowed the Ukrainian forces to restore full control over another two villages.
“One of the most important components of our success was our deception operations,” Biletskyi said in an update on September 28.
The enemy simply slept through the real strike.
Surrendering in full
Operation Vivaldi has now reclaimed 176 square kilometers near Lyman since quiet maneuvers began earlier this year. Heavy combat in this third phase inflicted over 2,000 Russian casualties.
It also netted more than 250 prisoners.
Entire units gave up without a fight. “The idea that ‘Russians don’t surrender’ from movies in practice turned into entire units surrendering in full, including officers, pilots and artillerymen,” the general said.
Kyiv hopes to exchange the captives soon. “We hope to exchange them for Ukrainian soldiers currently in captivity in the near future,” Biletskyi added according to The Kyiv Independent.
Tracking the fighting was tricky. Mapping group DeepState and open-source intelligence analysts watched Ukrainian attacks since late spring, but official sources kept tight operational security until mid-September.
Drones on wheels
Overcoming a steep manpower deficit required creative warfare. With enemy drones dominating the skies above the front line, Ukrainian forces focused heavily on jamming Russian aircraft and cutting off supply routes.
They also turned to bold technology on the ground. Engineers retrofitted old Soviet-era armored personnel carriers into unmanned kamikaze drones packed with explosives to smash enemy lines.
The tactic worked. By wiping out a large Russian bulge built over the past year, the 3rd Corps thwarted attempts to encircle Ukrainian positions in Donetsk.
