Troops from Ukraine’s Third Army Corps and attached units raised Ukrainian flags in Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. The settlements were brought back under Ukrainian control during the third phase of Operation Vivaldi.
Footage showing blue-and-yellow flags in five liberated settlements in Donetsk Oblast was published by the Third Army Corps.
Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhailivka were returned to Ukrainian control during the third stage of the Vivaldi counteroffensive, which is continuing in the Lyman sector. Russian losses amounted to 2,000 personnel, while more than 250 Russian troops were taken prisoner.
A total of 51 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory was recaptured during this stage, bringing the total regained since the start of the offensive operations to 176 square kilometers.
The key objective of the third phase of Vivaldi was Nove, which the corps described as a major Russian hub on the bridgehead.
“The enemy was convinced that the main direction of the strike was Shandryholove–Zelena Dolyna. This forced them to pointlessly burn through their reserves in counterattacks in that sector. The Russians slept through the real strike, which was focused on taking Nove,” Third Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky said.
To break through Russian defenses, the corps used modified Soviet BTR-60 armored personnel carriers converted into robotic kamikaze systems. They were used to destroy the enemy’s strongest fortifications.
The Third Army Corps also said Russian troops surrendered in entire units, including officers, pilots and artillery crews.
