Ukrainian forces say they have retaken three more villages in northern Donetsk Oblast during “Operation Vivaldi,” an offensive led by the 3rd Army Corps around Lyman. Corps commander Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi said the latest phase recaptured 51 square kilometers, bringing claimed territorial gains during the operation to 176 square kilometers. He also said more than 250 Russian troops had been taken prisoner. The figures have not been independently verified. Biletskyi said deception played a central role, with Russian forces drawn toward one axis while Ukraine struck elsewhere. Ukrainian troops also used Soviet-era BTR-60 armored personnel carriers converted into unmanned kamikaze vehicles against fortified positions. Fighting remains intense elsewhere in Donetsk Oblast, including around Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka and Lyman on the eastern front.
