Ukraine Operation Vivaldi Recaptures 125 Square Kilometers Near Lyman With Modernized Command Structure

Ukraine's Third Army Corps says its two-season Operation Vivaldi offensive has returned 125 square kilometers near Lyman to Ukrainian control, including 50 square kilometers retaken from Russian occupation, and eliminated roughly 800 additional Russian troops for a combined total exceeding 3,000 across both seasons 1. Corps commander Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletskyi said the unit conducted the world's first air-deployment of unmanned ground vehicles behind enemy lines, delivering kamikaze UGVs more than 10 kilometers into Russian rear areas via heavy bombers as part of a flanking maneuver 1. Deputy commander Col. Rodion Kudryashov wrote in Ukrainska Pravda that the gains followed a monthslong restructuring of the corps' command culture after its formation, including replacing commanders and building a joint headquarters to coordinate SSO, GUR and DPSU units against Russian infiltration tactics 2. The Kremlin-linked Rybar Telegram channel acknowledged the Ukrainian advance, reporting the 144th Division continues to fall back while Russian forces attempt to recapture Shandryholovo and Zarechnoye and realign the front toward Zherebets 3.