Ukraine's Third Army Corps completes third stage of Vivaldi offensive in Lyman direction, retaking five settlements
On 28 September 2025, Ukraine's Third Army Corps announced the completion of the third stage of its Vivaldi offensive operation in the Lyman direction of Donetsk Oblast. The corps reported the retaking of Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka, and Novomykhailivka, all north of Lyman, and an additional 51 km² of territory during this stage. Since the operation began, Ukrainian forces have de-occupied 176 km².
Key points
- Third Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky declared the third stage of the Vivaldi operation complete on 28 September 2025.
- Ukrainian forces liberated Nove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka, and re-established control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka, all north of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast.
- The third stage added 51 km² of retaken territory; 176 km² has been de-occupied since the start of the offensive.
- Karpivka was liberated by the "Silver Trio" unit of the "Pomsta" brigade of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service together with Third Army Corps servicemembers.
- Ukrainian Defense Forces reported enemy losses of approximately 1,500 service members and more than 12,000 drones during this stage, plus hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems, and automotive equipment; more than 250 Russian soldiers were captured.
- Ukrainian units severed enemy logistical lines and forced occupiers to move fuel stocks beyond the border.
- ISW reported on 28 September 2025 that Russian "war correspondents" are criticizing the practice of "good reports" in the Russian command, in which false battlefield statements mislead higher command and degrade Moscow's ability to respond to Ukrainian advances.
Why it matters
Vivaldi is an active Ukrainian offensive in the Lyman direction of the Donetsk front, not defensive fighting, and the third stage alone added 51 km² of retaken territory for a reported operation-wide total of 176 km². The operation has reportedly forced the withdrawal of Russia's elite Rubicon UAV unit from the Lyman-Borivka direction because of significant losses. The institute documented that "good reports" culture inside the Russian command is degrading Moscow's situational awareness and its ability to contain the Ukrainian advance.
What happened
On 28 September 2025, Ukraine's Third Army Corps announced details of the third stage of its Vivaldi offensive operation in the Lyman direction of Donetsk Oblast and declared the stage complete. According to commander Andriy Biletsky, Ukrainian forces liberated Nove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka and re-established control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka — all settlements located north of Lyman. Karpivka was liberated by the "Silver Trio" unit of the "Pomsta" brigade of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service together with Third Army Corps troops, who raised the blue-and-yellow flag in the locality.
The third stage added 51 km² of retaken territory, bringing the total area de-occupied since the start of the offensive to 176 km². The Ukrainian Defense Forces reported Russian losses during this stage of approximately 1,500 service members, more than 12,000 drones, and hundreds of units of armored vehicles, artillery systems, and automotive equipment, with more than 250 Russian soldiers captured. Biletsky also said Ukrainian units severed the enemy's logistical lines and forced the occupiers to move fuel supplies outside Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War reported on 28 September 2025 that Russian "war correspondents" are increasingly criticizing the practice of "good reports" within the Russian command, in which false battlefield statements by Russian commanders mislead higher command, hindering operational planning and aiding Ukrainian advances in the Lyman direction. The institute assessed that inaccurate reporting inside the Russian command is degrading Russian forces' awareness of the frontline and their ability to contain advancing Ukrainian troops and equipment.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language outlets covering the announcement center the Third Army Corps and its commander Andriy Biletsky as the authoritative voice on the operation. The coverage foregrounds territorial gains, the five liberated settlements, and quantified Russian losses supplied by the Ukrainian Defense Forces — territory, personnel, drones, vehicles — and links the battlefield reporting to ISW's documentation of a reaction inside Russia's information space, presenting Vivaldi as a successful Ukrainian offensive that is also reshaping the Russian command's internal debate.
How international sources describe it
The supplied sources are Ukrainian outlets; the synthesis records no separate international framing of this stage of the operation.
Where reporting differs
Reported cumulative Russian personnel losses vary between sources and dates. By 20 September 2025 the Third Corps figure for the operation stood at 3,000 personnel, while the 28 September 2025 announcement for the third stage cited approximately 1,500 service-member losses "during this stage." The synthesis does not make explicit whether these figures are cumulative or stage-specific.
Background
On 15 September 2025, Third Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky publicly confirmed the Ukrainian offensive in the north of Donetsk Oblast and named it Vivaldi, reporting at that point that 75 km² had been cleared and 10 km² de-occupied. On 18 September 2025 the corps reported that Russia's elite Rubicon UAV unit had been withdrawn from the Lyman-Borivka direction because of significant losses. On 20 September Biletsky confirmed the de-occupation of Shandryholove and Derylove and full control over Drobysheve, freeing an additional 40 km² within Vivaldi and putting reported Russian losses at 3,000 personnel. Earlier stages of the operation saw the liberation of Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, and the outskirts of Koroviy Yar and Serednie (first stage), and Drobysheve, Derylove, and Shandryholove (second stage). The Institute for the Study of War has previously written that Vivaldi foiled Russian attempts to encircle Ukraine's "fortress-belt of cities" in the Donbas.