Ukrainian Forces Capture More Territory in Donetsk, Commander Says

Ukrainian forces have reported further territorial gains in the northern part of the Donetsk region as Kyiv seeks to disrupt Russia’s efforts to advance towards key eastern Ukrainian strongholds.

Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, said on September 28 that Ukrainian forces had recaptured another 51 square kilometres of territory during an operation known as “Vivaldi.”

According to Biletskyi, the latest gains bring the total area retaken during the operation to 176 square kilometres. He also said Ukrainian forces had liberated three additional villages and restored full control over two others.

The reported gains form part of a Ukrainian effort to put pressure on Russian forces operating around the northern Donetsk battlefield. Reuters reported that the operation is intended to complicate Moscow’s attempts to advance towards a group of strategically important cities known as Ukraine’s “fortress belt.”

The Third Army Corps said the latest villages taken were Ridkodub, Nove and Katerynivka, while Ukrainian control was restored over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka. The corps also reported significant Russian personnel losses, although those figures could not be independently verified.

The battlefield claims come as fighting remains intense across Donetsk. Russian forces have continued operations around Kostiantynivka and other areas forming part of the defensive belt protecting Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka. Independent battlefield assessments have also reported recent Ukrainian advances in areas around Sloviansk and Chasiv Yar, although the fighting remains fluid and individual claims can be difficult to verify.

Ukraine’s latest push follows an earlier offensive launched in the region in September. At the time, Biletskyi said his forces had cleared Russian infiltrators from 75 square kilometres and recaptured another 10 square kilometres. The operation has since expanded, according to Ukrainian military reports.

The Institute for the Study of War has assessed that the Ukrainian operation has disrupted Russia’s efforts to conduct a wider encirclement of the fortress belt. At the same time, Russian forces continue to exert pressure from the south and have maintained positions or attempted infiltrations around Kostiantynivka.

The reported Ukrainian advances are taking place alongside continued Russian attacks elsewhere in the country. The Associated Press reported that Russian drone strikes on September 28 killed civilians and wounded dozens of people in several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv. Russia has maintained that its attacks target military-related infrastructure, while Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly reported strikes on civilian areas.

The latest battlefield developments come as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Russian officials have continued to signal that negotiations face major obstacles, while the United States and other countries have sought to revive efforts towards a settlement.

Ukraine’s reported gains do not by themselves indicate a broader shift across the entire front. The fighting remains highly dependent on drones, artillery, logistics and the ability of both sides to reinforce positions, while independent verification of territorial changes remains difficult in several frontline areas.