Ukrainian forces eliminate Russian bridgehead in northern Donetsk Oblast, officer says
Petro Horbatenko, chief of staff of Ukraine's Third Army Corps, said Ukrainian forces eliminated a Russian bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River in northern Donetsk Oblast, disrupting Russian plans to encircle the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. Operation "Vivaldi," announced on September 15, continues across its four planned stages, with the first stage producing reported gains in territory cleared and Russian losses.
Key points
- Petro Horbatenko, chief of staff and deputy commander of the Third Army Corps, detailed the operation
- Operation "Vivaldi," announced September 15 by Third Army Corps commander Andrii Biletsky, is unfolding in northern Donetsk Oblast across four planned stages
- Ukrainian forces eliminated a Russian bridgehead on the western bank of the Chornyi Zherebets River, according to Horbatenko
- Horbatenko said the elimination thwarts a Russian plan to encircle the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration from the south via Izium
- Russian encirclement plans aimed at further offensive into Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts, according to the synthesis
- During the first stage, Ukrainian forces reportedly cleared 75 km², de-occupied an additional 10 km², eliminated 1,500 Russian soldiers and destroyed 12,000 Russian UAVs
- Horbatenko said the bridgehead's elimination disrupts Russian plans not only for 2026 but possibly into early 2027
Why it matters
The reported elimination of the bridgehead cuts off a Russian attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Horbatenko said the operation disrupts Russian plans not only for 2026 but possibly into early 2027 and that Russian forces can no longer mount active offensives — claims that, if accurate, would shape the trajectory of the fighting across a wide stretch of territory including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts.
What happened
Petro Horbatenko, chief of staff and deputy commander of Ukraine's Third Army Corps, said Ukrainian forces have eliminated a Russian bridgehead on the western bank of the Chornyi Zherebets River in northern Donetsk Oblast, according to Ukrainian media. Horbatenko described the development as part of operation "Vivaldi," an offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast announced on September 15 by Third Army Corps commander Andrii Biletsky, who also heads the "Center" military grouping. The operation consists of four planned stages.
According to Horbatenko, the elimination of the bridgehead thwarted a Russian plan to encircle the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration by approaching from the south via Izium — an effort that, the synthesis notes, was intended to open a strategic advantage for a further offensive into Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts. During the first stage of "Vivaldi," Ukrainian forces reportedly cleared 75 km², de-occupied an additional 10 km², eliminated 1,500 Russian soldiers, destroyed 12,000 Russian UAVs, and struck Russia's 20th and 25th armies as well as the elite "Rubikon" unit, which the Russian command pulled from the Lyman-Borova direction. Horbatenko suggested the operation could be combined with strikes from the north.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The two Ukrainian sources frame the elimination of the bridgehead as a strategic success that thwarts a major Russian encirclement plan targeting the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. They emphasize concrete battlefield achievements, citing specific figures for territory cleared and Russian personnel, UAVs and equipment destroyed during the first stage of "Vivaldi." The cited officer adds forward-looking claims that the operation disrupts Russian plans through 2026 and possibly into early 2027 and that Russian forces can no longer mount active offensives.
Background
Operation "Vivaldi" was announced on September 15 by Andrii Biletsky, commander of the Third Army Corps and head of the "Center" military grouping, as a Ukrainian offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast structured around four planned stages. During its first stage, Ukrainian forces reportedly cleared 75 km², de-occupied an additional 10 km², eliminated 1,500 Russian soldiers, destroyed 12,000 Russian UAVs and struck Russia's 20th and 25th armies and the elite "Rubikon" unit.