Ukrainian forces have reclaimed control of five villages in the Donetsk region as part of a broader counteroffensive effort, officials said Monday. The latest advance by Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps under Operation Vivaldi resulted in the liberation of Ridkodub, Nove, and Katerynivka, while full control was restored to Karpivka and Novomykhailivka.
Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi provided details on the operation, describing it as a phased counterassault designed to recapture territory seized by Russian forces. Ukrainian troops reportedly used a strategic feint that compelled Russian units to defend a location south of Ukraine’s actual target. This deception allowed Ukrainian forces to retake approximately 20 square miles of territory, equivalent in size to Manhattan. “The enemy exhausted their reserves in futile counterattacks away from the main strike, which centered on capturing Nove,” Biletskyi explained.
The village of Nove, a significant logistical hub for Russian operations in the region, played a pivotal role in the third phase of Operation Vivaldi. Securing this area has now placed Ukrainian troops in a position to encircle Zelena-Dolyna, an objective that Russian forces were diverted to defend during the Ukrainian advance.
Operation Vivaldi, which was disclosed publicly earlier in September, has been ongoing throughout 2026 and marks an intensified effort by Kyiv to reclaim territory. The operation has already resulted in the liberation of nearly 68 square miles from Russian control, according to the Ukrainian military.
Biletskyi also reported that the operation led to the capture of over 250 Russian soldiers, noting a notable increase in instances where entire Russian units—including officers, pilots, and artillery personnel—have surrendered en masse. “The notion that Russians do not surrender has been contradicted by these developments,” he said, adding that Kyiv intends to negotiate prisoner exchanges with Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed progress this year, stating that Kyiv had regained around 288 square miles of territory in the first seven months of 2026. “The occupiers continue to be eliminated, and the designated objectives are being achieved,” Zelensky remarked in a statement referencing Operation Vivaldi.
The renewed momentum by Ukrainian forces forms part of a wider counteroffensive endeavor aimed at reversing Russian gains in eastern Ukraine, where fighting remains intense and fluid.