During the first phase of operation "Vivaldi," units of the Third Army Corps carried out 36,000 strike missions, including against field fuel depots in Luhansk region, forcing the enemy to disperse its depots into forests and onto Russian territory, which, in turn, slowed down supplies to the front lines, the press service of the Third Army Corps said.
"Systematic strikes on field fuel depots in the Luhansk region were a key factor in the success of operation "Vivaldi." According to Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, the enemy was forced to reroute the supply of fuel and lubricants to Voronezh region, beyond Ukraine's state border," the press service's statement reads, which was received by Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
It is noted that thanks to the successful actions of unmanned aerial vehicle units and precision strikes, the enemy was forced to shut down the pipeline through which it had been supplying fuel from Russia to the occupied Luhansk region, after which, with the pipeline out of commission, fuel tankers were forced to travel to Voronezh region. The distance required to evacuate this division's equipment increased by approximately 250 kilometers. The corps achieved this result through regular strikes on enemy field fuel and ammunition depots, communications nodes, command posts, and vehicles carrying fuel and provisions.
It is reported that during Vivaldi operation, the Third Army Corps destroyed enemy logistics in two stages: In the first stage, strike drones isolated a strip up to 50 kilometers from the front line; in the second stage, the zone was expanded to 120 kilometers from the front line. At the same time, the corps' UAVs struck priority targets in key logistical settlements in the occupied territories.
During the first phase of the operation, the Third Corps' drone units carried out 36,000 strike missions.
The corps notes that the reduction in fuel supplies directly to frontline units limits the use of enemy UAVs and electronic warfare systems, which, in turn, increases the effectiveness of high-precision weapons and UAVs within the corps' area of responsibility.
As previously reported, on September 15, the Third Army Corps announced that it had cleared 75 square kilometers and liberated 10 square kilometers as part of counteroffensive operations in the northern part of Donetsk region. According to the Third Army Corps, Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, and the outskirts of Korovy Yar were cleared of enemy infiltration, and Seredne was liberated. Amid a media blackout, the units eliminated pockets of enemy infiltration and cleared 75 square kilometers. Another 10 square kilometers were de-occupied.
Enemy losses at this stage of the operation amounted to approximately 1,500 soldiers, over 12,000 drones, and hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems, and motor vehicles. "A devastating blow has been dealt to the combat capability of the Russian Federation's 20th and 25th Armies," the corps said.
At the same time, drone units cut off the enemy's logistics routes. As a result of the corps' strikes, Russian troops were forced to relocate their fuel and lubricant supplies outside Ukraine – to Voronezh region: a pipeline was dismantled and supply depots were moved.
The operation involved the 60th Mechanized Brigade, the 125th Airborne Brigade, the Tank Group of the Third Separate Tank Brigade, the Third Operational-Regimental Brigade and the 25th Operational-Tactical Brigade, as well as attached units – the 66th Mechanized Brigade, the 85th Tank Group of the Eighth Special Operations Regiment, the Artan special unit of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense, and the 10th Mobile Border Guard Detachment "Dozor."
"There is currently a lot of information in open sources suggesting that the ultimate goal of our offensive operations is to reach the banks of the Chorny Zherebets River. But our operation is called "Vivaldi." And as we know, Vivaldi has four seasons. And this is only the first of them. So stay tuned for our official announcements and don't rush to spoil the surprise. There will be good news," Commander of the Third Army Corps Andriy Biletsky said.
