Ukraine’s Third Army Corps Captures 250+ Russian Troops in Operation Vivaldi

Ukraine’s Third Army Corps reported on October 1 that its forces captured more than 250 Russian troops, including dozens of officers, during Operation Vivaldi on the Lyman axis.

ArmyInform reported the figures on the same day, citing the Third Army Corps, which released new footage showing prisoners and their conversation with Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Center Group of Forces.

Russian prisoners described shortages of food and water at their positions, as well as difficulties evacuating wounded personnel. They claimed that troops had resorted to eating nettles, tree bark, and wild animals, and to collecting rainwater to drink. One Russian officer reported cases of soldiers dying from exhaustion and hunger.

Biletskyi attributed the growing number of prisoners partly to deteriorating command structures in several Russian regiments. He noted that Ukrainian forces were increasingly capturing specialists rather than only infantry, including drone operators, mortar crews, and electronic warfare personnel.

"Captivity is the best thing that could have happened to you," Biletskyi told the Russian prisoners, warning that their forces would soon face even heavier fighting.

Russian officers also claimed that conditions in the sector had deteriorated sharply about eight months earlier. According to their accounts, Russian advances stalled while carrying out commanders’ orders became increasingly difficult.

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War in Ukraine

Operation Vivaldi, Phase Three: Russia Fell for Ukraine’s Battlefield Bluff, Lost 2,000 Troops and Key Bridgehead

Sep 28, 2026 15:29

The expansion of Operation Vivaldi into phases focused on breaking Russian supply chains and logistics has weakened Russian command effectiveness across the northern Donetsk region. The Third Army Corps has consistently targeted fuel pipelines and rear-area infrastructure, forcing Russian forces to scatter supply bases and extend their logistical reach across the border into Russia.

Ground robots deployed during earlier phases of the operation have also degraded Russian defensive capabilities. The unmanned systems, air-deployed more than 10 kilometers behind enemy lines, have cleared routes, carried out demining operations, and identified vulnerabilities in fortified positions that infantry assault groups exploited.