The Russian Ministry of Defense denies these gains and claims its forces are clearing Svyatohirsk, though the town remains 25 km from the Russian forward line. The Institute for the Study of War assesses that Russia seized only 147.7 square kilometers in 2026, contradicting Kremlin claims of 5,300 square kilometers captured since the start of the year. Russia withdrew an elite drone unit from northern Donetsk following losses during the operation.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Ukraine Retakes 125 Square Kilometers Near Lyman Using First Air Dropped Ground Robots
War30 days ago
Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the 3rd Army Corps, confirmed the liberation of Shandryholove, Derylove, and Drobysheve in the Donetsk region. The offensive, codenamed Operation Vivaldi, regained 125 square kilometers of territory and resulted in 3,000 Russian personnel losses including prisoners and wounded, with more than 800 troops killed during the second phase of the assault. Heavy drones delivered kamikaze ground robots more than 10 km behind Russian lines to blind enemy drones and facilitate the advance.
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