Biletskyy spoke about the main objective of Operation “Vivaldi” in the Donetsk region
The main objective of Operation “Vivaldi” in the north of Donetsk Oblast is for Ukrainian troops to advance to advantageous defensive positions.
According to the commander of the Third Army Corps, the strategic mission of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is to defend the Donetsk and Luhansk sectors, as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
“Our main strategic objective for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is to defend the Donetsk and Luhansk sectors and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” Biletsky said.
He emphasized that the Ukrainian military does not aim to capture as much territory as possible.
“We are not fighting there simply for the sake of tens or hundreds—or even thousands—of kilometers. We are fighting, first and foremost, for advantageous defensive positions,” the corps commander noted.
According to Andriy Biletsky, Operation “Vivaldi” is intended to move Ukrainian units into positions advantageous for defense.
On September 15, the commander of the Third Army Corps confirmed the start of an offensive operation in northern Donetsk Oblast. According to the corps, Ukrainian forces had cleared 75 square kilometers of territory and de-occupied 10 square kilometers by that time.
Thus, the command of the Third Army Corps defines the main result of the operation not as the area of territory captured, but as the improvement of Ukrainian troops’ positions for further defense.
This was stated by the commander of the Third Army Corps, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, during a television broadcast.
During the “Vivaldi” offensive operation, the Third Army Corps’ electronic warfare forces created a kind of “protective dome” over the combat zone. According to military sources, the electronic warfare system thwarted more than 20,000 missions by Russian drones.
As a reminder, the 1021st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the Ukrainian Air Force adapted the “Stugna-P” anti-tank missile system to counter Russian attack drones. The system, which was originally designed to engage armored vehicles, has already been demonstrated as an air defense weapon.
During the first 15 days of September, the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed the elimination of 6,280 Russian occupiers. This is 25.6% more than during the same period in August. At the same time, Russia plans to significantly increase the pace of replenishing its army’s personnel.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a Russian Su-24 aircraft at its airbase in Saki in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that the extent of the damage to the aircraft is currently being assessed.
On September 7 and during the night of September 8, 2026, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a number of key military targets belonging to the Russian occupation forces.
In Sevastopol, in occupied Crimea, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian BK-16 high-speed landing craft. A “Krasukha-4” mobile electronic warfare station was also struck in the area of temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
On August 31 and during the night of September 1, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out strikes against a number of military facilities belonging to the Russian occupiers.
On the night of August 26, 2026, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck facilities at the “Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez” LLC oil refinery in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia.
Ukrainian strikes since July have disabled seven of Wildberries’ ten largest logistics centers in Russia, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. In particular, following the attack on August 16, the company’s large facilities in Domodedovo and the “Koledino” industrial park ceased operations; the latter covered an area of approximately 250,000 square meters.
