At the command post of the 3rd Army Corps, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the warriors carrying out Operation Vivaldi.
Corps Commander Andrii Biletskyi reported on the operation’s interim results. Russian forces had planned a breakthrough into the rear of the Slovyansk–Kramatorsk urban agglomeration, but the Defense Forces of Ukraine thwarted those plans and stabilized the situation in this part of the front. The enemy was forced to urgently redeploy reinforcements, weakening other areas.
The fighters of the 3rd Army Corps, together with adjacent units, have already carried out three seasons of Operation Vivaldi. During this time, Russian losses have amounted to more than 5,000 killed and wounded, while Ukrainian defenders have captured another 250 occupiers. Since the start of the offensive, Ukraine has regained control of 176 square kilometers of territory. Control has been restored over Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, Drobysheve, Karpivka, Novomykhailivka, and the outskirts of Korovyi Yar; Serednie, Shandryholove, Derylove, Ridkodub, and Katerynivka have been liberated; and the enemy hub on the bridgehead, Nove, has been captured.
A distinctive feature of Operation Vivaldi has been the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for sabotage operations. One of the tactics used involved mounting single-use grenade launchers on kamikaze UGVs. The Gryphon tactic has also been introduced, involving the deployment of UGVs using heavy bombers.
In addition, kamikaze UGVs based on armored personnel carriers have become an important element in destroying enemy strongpoints. This made it possible not only to demoralize Russian forces and enter Nove and Katerynivka, but also to destroy an enemy communications and command hub.
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi also reported on plans for the fourth season of the operation.
The President also spoke separately with the commanders of the units involved in Operation Vivaldi. The issues discussed included fair military pay and the provision of long-range artillery. They also reviewed in detail the possibility of replacing personnel with UGVs during offensive operations. The necessary steps to implement this idea were planned.
The Head of State presented 20 warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class, and “For Courage,” II and III classes, and congratulated them on the upcoming Day of Defenders of Ukraine.
“Today, I have the honor of presenting you with these awards and thanking you for defending Ukraine, for defending our independence and our sovereignty. Of course, I also want to thank all your brothers and sisters-in-arms, everyone who is with you today and everyone who remains in our memory forever. They are true heroes,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.