Ukrainian forces have recaptured more territory from Russian troops in northern Donetsk as part of an operation aimed at disrupting Russia’s efforts to advance toward key cities in the region, a senior Ukrainian commander has said.
Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi said Ukraine’s Third Army Corps had recently regained 51 square kilometres of territory. He said the operation, known as “Vivaldi”, had now resulted in the recovery of 176 square kilometres in northern Donetsk.
According to Biletskyi, Ukrainian forces have also liberated three villages and restored control over two others during the operation. The offensive is taking place north of the strategic cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which form part of what is known as Ukraine’s “fortress belt.”
The commander said the operation was intended to complicate Russia’s efforts to encircle the Ukrainian defensive positions in the area. The Institute for the Study of War has described the reported operation as having an operationally significant objective of disrupting Russia’s encirclement efforts.
The latest claims follow an earlier announcement by Biletskyi that Ukrainian forces had cleared 75 square kilometres of Russian infiltration groups and recaptured another 10 square kilometres. He also said troops had regained control of the village of Serednie.
Donetsk remains one of the main areas of fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russian forces have continued operations around several Ukrainian-held cities, including Kostiantynivka, while Moscow continues to seek control of the entire Donetsk region.
However, the reported Ukrainian gains have not been independently verified. Reuters noted that establishing precise changes in territorial control is particularly difficult because of drone warfare and the fluid nature of the front line.
Ukraine has also reported territorial gains in other parts of the country this year as its forces attempt to counter Russian advances. The latest developments in northern Donetsk are being closely watched because of the region’s importance to Russia’s wider military objectives.
Fighting continues across the front, and the extent to which the reported Ukrainian gains can be maintained will depend on developments on the battlefield in the coming days.