Ukraine says operation Vivaldi cleared Russian salient north of Lyman

Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps commander Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi said the first phase of the counteroffensive dubbed “Vivaldi” has eliminated the Russian salient north of the city of Lyman. In a video address, he reported that Ukrainian forces have cleared about 32 square miles, including the settlement of Serednie, and inflicted a "heavy blow" on Russia's 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies. He added that drone strikes have disrupted Russian supply lines, pushing logistics hubs across the border.

Military analyst Giorgi Revishvili, writing for the Substack Russia Analyzed, confirmed that the Lyman salient appears to have been fully cleared, estimating the liberated area at more than 77 square miles and noting that the advance eases pressure on the so-called Fortress Belt of fortified cities in Donetsk. Open-source analyst Clement Molin and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have echoed the assessment, citing additional gains near the Zherebets River and the withdrawal of Russian units such as the 144th Motorized Rifle Division to Russia's Voronezh region.

The ISW said Ukrainian drone operations have targeted Russian logistics up to 80 kilometres from the front, shutting a fuel pipeline to occupied Luhansk and forcing Russian forces to relocate support elements. Pro-Kremlin milblogger Rybar acknowledged that Russian troops are struggling to retake positions south of Lyman, which could delay further offensives toward Slovyansk.

Despite the territorial gains, analysts warn that Ukraine faces a challenging winter. Revishvili cautioned that Moscow may intensify attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, aiming to strain civilian resilience and pressure Kyiv's leadership.