Operation Vivaldi: 3rd Army Corps Liberates Nove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka

The 3rd Army Corps liberated the settlements of Nove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka in the Lyman sector of the Donetsk region. In addition, the Defense Forces regained control of Karpivka and Novomykhailivka.

Thanks to the successful completion of the third phase of Operation Vivaldi, Ukrainian forces regained control of another 51 km² of territory, reported Brigadier General Andriy Biletskyi, commander of the corps and the army group Center.

During the fighting, the Russian invaders suffered losses of approximately 2,000 personnel, and more than 250 Russian servicemen were taken prisoner.

Russian units lost command and surrendered in groups, along with their officers, drone pilots, and artillery crews.

The key objective of this phase of the operation was to liberate the village of Nove, which served as a vital logistical and defensive hub for Russian army units on the bridgehead.

“Whoever controls the high ground around this settlement holds the initiative on the bridgehead,” Biletskyi noted.

According to him, the invaders expected an attack along the Shandryholove–Zelena Dolyna sector and exhausted their reserves in unsuccessful counterattacks, missing the actual offensive on Nove.

During the breakthrough of enemy defenses, Ukrainian troops deployed remotely controlled BTR-60s. Converted into armored robotic kamikaze systems, these vehicles were used to destroy the enemy’s most fortified positions and firing points.

Soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade made a key contribution to the operation.

Meanwhile, soldiers of the 3rd Border Guard Detachment named after Hero of Ukraine Colonel Yevhen Pikus regained control of Ridkodub and secured their positions on new lines. Units of the 10th DOZOR Mobile Border Guard Detachment also participated in the assault operations.

During the first phase of Vivaldi, Ukrainian fighters cleared the settlements of Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, and the outskirts of Korovyi Yar. In addition, Ukrainian forces completely liberated the village of Seredne.

During the second phase, they liberated Shandryholove and Derylove and established full control over Drobyshev.