Ukraine says operation forced Russia to abandon plans to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk
Ukraine’s Third Army Corps said on October 24 that its “Vivaldi” operation disrupted Russian plans to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in Donetsk region. Deputy corps commander Maksym Zhorin said the operation stopped and pushed back the attackers, forcing Russian troops in the sector to shift from attacks to defensive actions and hold existing positions.
Key points
- Russian plans to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk were “completely disrupted,” Maksym Zhorin said on October 24.
- Ukraine destroyed one of the two planned “claws” during the “Vivaldi” operation, according to Zhorin.
- The operation stopped and pushed back Russian forces, forcing them to stabilize and hold existing positions.
- Commanding officer Andrii Biletskyi said four stages of “Vivaldi” returned 277 square kilometers to Ukrainian control.
- ISW assessed geolocated footage from Dobropillia as evidence of a Russian infiltration operation, not a confirmed takeover.
- ISW found no evidence that Russian forces had consolidated their positions within Dobropillia.
- ISW reported that Russian advance rates had slowed substantially since March 2026.
Why it matters
Ukraine’s military command says the operation halted Russia’s advance in northern Donetsk region and protected Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Its reported effect — Russian troops moving from offensive operations to holding existing positions — also supports the Institute for the Study of War’s assessment that Russia’s advance rates have slowed substantially since March 2026.
What happened
Deputy Third Army Corps commander Maksym Zhorin said on October 24 that Ukraine’s “Vivaldi” operation destroyed one of the “claws” Russia had planned to use to encircle Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. According to him, this not only halted the Russian advance but pushed the troops back, forced them to stabilize the frontline and hold existing positions, and shifted them from offensive to defensive actions. Zhorin also said the operation had dealt a serious moral blow to Russian forces.
Andrii Biletskyi reported that the four stages of the operation returned 277 square kilometers to Ukrainian control. The Third Army Corps reported the liberation of Shandryholove, Derylove, Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhaillivka, as well as control over Drobysheve, Zelena Dolyna, Lylove and Kolodiazi.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources emphasize the destruction of one of the planned Russian “claws,” the transition from Russian attacks to defense in the affected sector and the concrete territorial results of the operation. Military command has also rejected Russian claims that Russian forces captured or surrounded Dobropillia and describes the operation as having inflicted a serious moral blow on Russian troops.
How international sources describe it
ISW described the appearance of a Russian flag in southeastern Dobropillia as a limited infiltration operation rather than evidence that the city had been captured. The institute found no evidence that Russian troops had consolidated their positions within Dobropillia and reported that Russia’s advance rates had remained low since slowing substantially in March 2026. Its analysts also noted that Russia sometimes loses more territory than it captures.
Background
Andrii Biletskyi first publicly disclosed Russia’s advance in northern Donetsk on September 15, and the operation was named “Vivaldi.” At its beginning, the Third Army Corps reported clearing 75 square kilometers and liberating 10 square kilometers. On September 18, the corps said Russian losses had forced Russia to withdraw its “Rubicon” unmanned-systems unit from the Lyman-Borivskyi direction. Later stages brought further territorial gains, culminating in the reported return of 277 square kilometers over four stages.