Military — 2026-10-21

Ukraine Retakes Kolodiazi as Operation Vivaldi Fourth Phase Drones Destroy 200-Plus Russian Vehicles Near Lyman

BLUFUkraine's drone-enabled encirclement model at Kolodiazi degrades Russian light-vehicle infiltration tactics faster than Moscow can adapt, shifting the tactical burden around Lyman decisively toward the defender.

The chief of staff of the 60th Mechanized Brigade's Fatum unmanned systems battalion, callsign Krash, told Suspilne on October 18 that Ukrainian forces retook Kolodiazi north of Lyman in the fourth phase of Operation Vivaldi 12. He said the 3rd Mechanized Battalion encircled the village without street fighting, while the 1st Mechanized Battalion blocked Russian reinforcements 13. Krash reported that Fatum drones killed or wounded about 500 Russian troops and struck more than 200 vehicles and pieces of equipment, mostly motorbikes and quad bikes, plus Grad and Uragan rocket launchers and armor 13. Third Army Corps commander Andrii Biletskyi reported that the phase also took Zelena Dolyna and Lypove, securing 101 km², and Euromaidan Press cited totals of 277 km² and 16 settlements for the full operation 2.

Analysis
Ukraine has shown it can retake a village north of Lyman by encirclement and drone dominance without street fighting. Sealing the approaches denied Russian reinforcement and left motorbikes and quad bikes as the main targets. If the claimed 500 casualties and 200-plus vehicles hold, Russian units here are losing cheap mobility faster than they can replace it, which erodes their infiltration tactics. Third Army Corps now holds the retaken villages, and Russian effort appears to be shifting toward Sloviansk rather than a counterattack here. Moderate confidence reflects a unit officer's primary account, but all three outlets repeat one Suspilne interview, so the loss figures are uncorroborated. The figures may be inflated to promote the drone battalion, and the quick capture may reflect thin Russian garrisons rather than decisive drone effects. The phase added 152 square kilometers, bringing Vivaldi to 277 and 16 settlements.

3 sources