What happened
Ukrainian forces have made significant gains in their counter-offensive, Operation Vivaldi, liberating three villages and restoring full control to two others. The operation resulted in 2,000 Russian casualties and the capture of 250 Russian prisoners.
The Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps, led by Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi, successfully retook the villages of Ridkodub, Nove, and Katerynivka in the Donetsk region. The operation involved a phased counter-assault aimed at liberating conquered Ukrainian land.
According to Biletskyi, the Ukrainian troops tricked the Russian forces into defending a position south of their true goal, allowing the Ukrainians to reconquer 20 square miles of territory. The operation also saw the restoration of full Ukrainian control to the villages of Karpivka and Novomykhailivka.
The Ukrainian military has made significant gains in recent months, with Operation Vivaldi alone liberating nearly 68 square miles of land from Russian forces. The overall counter-offensive has resulted in the recapture of around 288 square miles of territory, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
