3rd Corps liberates 40 sq km on Lyman axis amid first-ever ground robot airdrop
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Heavy bombers air-drop ground robots into Russian rear, 3rd Corps said (Photo: Third Army Corps via Telegram)
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps executed the world's first combat airdrop of ground kamikaze robots into enemy rear lines and advanced another 40 square kilometers, the command reported on Sept. 21.
The official situation report stated that 3rd Corps assault formations are pressing an offensive on the Lyman axis, having de-occupied the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove while establishing firm operational control over Drobysheve. Ukrainian forces captured these settlements through a bypass maneuver, driving from north to south along natural ravines and gulleys. In this latest operational phase, the corps liberated 40 square kilometers, expanding the cumulative territory reclaimed since the launch of Operation Vivaldi to 125 square kilometers.
"And another historic milestone: 3rd Army Corps commenced this campaign phase by airborne-dropping ground robotic platforms. Heavy bomber drones of the 3rd Assault Brigade delivered ground-based kamikaze robots deep into the enemy's rear," the command stated.
"Wars are won by infantry, but we protect our infantry — which is why robots go toward the enemy first."
The operational update added that Ukrainian air defense and electronic warfare (EW) formations successfully jammed and blinded Russian reconnaissance and strike drones, preventing enemy intelligence from unmasking the operational offensive plan.
According to corps estimates, Russian forces have lost more than 3k soldiers since Operation Vivaldi started. Furthermore, the offensive effectively pinned enemy reserves, preventing the Russian military command from redeploying substantial forces to reinforce the Kupyansk axis.
Operation Vivaldi: Chronology and Operational Context
First public confirmation: On Sept. 15, 3rd Army Corps Commander Andrii Biletskyi publicly confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian troops launched an offensive in northern Donetsk Oblast codenamed Operation Vivaldi. At that initial stage, the military verified the clearing of 75 square kilometers and the de-occupation of 10 square kilometers.
Initial enemy attrition: Early Russian losses stood at approximately 1,500 soldiers, over 12,000 UAVs, and hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and supply trucks. Ukrainian units severed frontline logistics arteries, compelling Russian supply commands to shift regional fuel distribution hubs outside Ukrainian territory.
Elite drone unit routed: On Sept. 18, 3rd Army Corps reported that the elite Russian Rubikon drone reconnaissance and strike detachment was pulled back from the Lyman-Borova axis following unsustainable combat losses.
Strategic defensive buffer: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Operation Vivaldi successfully disrupted Russian operational designs intended to encircle Ukraine's eastern fortress belt in Donbas.
Expanding territorial gains: On Sept. 19, 3rd Army Corps Deputy Commander Petro Horbatenko reported steady momentum across northern Donetsk Oblast. Alongside verified control over Serednye, Koroviy Yar, Novoselivka, Yarova, and Oleksandrivka, Ukrainian troops cleared Ray-Oleksandrivka and several adjacent settlements.
Settlement confirmations: On Sept. 20, Biletskyi officially confirmed the complete de-occupation of Shandryholove and Derylove, alongside established control over Drobysheve.
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