Ukraine advances near Lyman with drones and robots in Operation Vivaldi

Ukrainian forces have retaken 176 square kilometers around Lyman in Donetsk region through three phases of Operation Vivaldi, with a fourth phase now beginning. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation has blocked Russian attempts to break through toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk defensive line.

The offensive relies heavily on coordinated drone and robotic systems. Heavy UAVs struck Russian logistics and drone operators behind the lines, while electronic warfare blinded enemy surveillance. Armored vehicles converted into remote-controlled explosive carriers — dubbed "Trojan horses" — and armed ground robots dropped more than 10 kilometers behind Russian positions cleared paths for infantry.

“They surrendered because they didn't want to die in vain”

Ukraine claims more than 250 Russian soldiers surrendered and over 5,000 were killed or wounded. Video released by the Third Army Corps shows prisoners marching in single file, some saying they gave up rather than die without supplies. CNN could not independently verify the footage or casualty figures; Russia has not commented.

Russian military bloggers acknowledged recent Ukrainian advances and questioned command failures. President Vladimir Putin insisted at the Valdai Club that Russian forces would capture the Donbas "much sooner" than the one-to-two years he said Ukrainian and European authorities expect to hold it.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on October 4, warning of "decisive weeks" ahead. Hours later, a Russian drone struck the Northern Bridge in Kyiv, the fourth consecutive day of attacks on Dnipro River crossings. Analysts caution that worsening winter weather may limit Ukraine's ability to sustain offensive operations.