Zelenskyy visits Lyman command post as Ukraine presses Operation Vivaldi

In a video, Zelenskyy also confirmed that he had arrived at the command post with the commander-in-chief and defense minister. Together with them and members of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, he observed a minute of silence for those killed. Judging from Zelenskyy’s remarks, the minute of silence took place at 9 a.m.

“Today I met here with the warriors carrying out missions in the Lyman sector and presented them with state awards. I spoke with the brigade commander about the unit’s missions and the brigade’s needs. As part of Operation Vivaldi, the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, together with other units of the Third Army Corps, has already returned more than 125 square kilometers of our territory to Ukrainian control,” Zelenskyy said.

He presented state awards to Ukrainian service members and thanked them for defending Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During the trip to the Lyman sector, Zelenskyy also held a coordination meeting with the commanders of the National Guard’s 1st and 2nd corps — Azov and Khartiia, respectively — and the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ 3rd, 11th and 19th army corps, as well as the commander of the 66th Brigade and the brigade’s battalion and company commanders, the Presidential Office reported.

The meeting covered:

• Simplifying procurement of pickup trucks and other equipment for the military.
• Strengthening the Unmanned Systems Forces and providing them with equipment, generators, additional fuel, vehicles and various types of drones, including reconnaissance, logistics and strike drones.
• Increasing funding for drone purchases.
• Options for increasing authorized personnel strength, simplifying procurement, and replenishing and training unit personnel.
• Artillery needs and long-range artillery shells.
• A fairer pay system for service members on the front line. Commanders agreed to prepare proposals.
• The evolution of drone warfare, development of drone and counter-drone technologies, and promising new methods of warfare.
• Replenishing personnel by creating incentives for service members absent without leave to return.

The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara; Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi; Air Assault Forces Commander Oleh Apostol; Third Army Corps Commander Andrii Biletskyi; Azov 1st National Guard Corps Commander Denys Prokopenko; Valerii Skred, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ 19th Army Corps of Operational Command South; Khartiia 2nd National Guard Corps Commander Ihor Obolenskyi; Ukrainian Ground Forces 11th Army Corps Commander Emil Ishkulov; and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.

The commanders briefed Zelenskyy on the situation in their corps’ areas of responsibility.

Zelenskyy said the issues raised would be reviewed and discussed at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff.

Operation Vivaldi

On Sept. 15, Third Army Corps Commander Andrii Biletskyi publicly confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian military was conducting an offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast. The operation was named Vivaldi. Officials confirmed that 75 square kilometers had been cleared and 10 square kilometers liberated.

The Defense Forces said Russian losses at that stage included about 1,500 personnel, more than 12,000 drones and hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems and other vehicles. Ukrainian units cut Russian logistics routes and forced Russian forces to move fuel supplies outside Ukraine.

On Sept. 18, the Third Army Corps said Operation Vivaldi had forced the elite Russian Rubikon drone unit out of the Lyman-Borova sector after it suffered heavy losses.

On Sept. 20, Biletskyi confirmed the liberation of the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove, as well as the establishment of full control over Drobysheve as part of Operation Vivaldi. Another 40 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were liberated. The Third Army Corps said Russian losses had risen to 3,000 personnel.

The Institute for the Study of War wrote that Operation Vivaldi disrupted Russian attempts to encircle Ukraine’s “fortress belt” of cities in the Donbas.

On Sept. 28, Biletskyi said Third Army Corps troops had liberated Nove, Ridkodub and Katerynivka and restored control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. The Armed Forces of Ukraine thus regained another 51 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, bringing the total regained since the offensive began to 176 square kilometers.