# Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi Claims Capture of Five Villages North of Lyman

*Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 2:05 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-29T02:05:50.989Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Eastern Europe
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19095.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps says it has used feints and deception in the third phase of Operation Vivaldi to seize Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhailivka north of Lyman, a push that is drawing sharp criticism of Russia’s military leadership from pro‑war commentators.

Fresh Ukrainian gains north of Lyman are putting new military and political pressure on Russia’s forces in eastern Ukraine, according to a public account from Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps.

On 28 September, the formation described what it called the third phase of Operation Vivaldi in the Lyman direction. It said Ukrainian units used feints and deception to mislead Russian forces before moving on several settlements, claiming the liberation of Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhailivka, all located north of Lyman.

The statement framed these actions as a coordinated operation rather than a small local clash, highlighting both the named settlements and the use of deliberate deception tactics. The villages themselves are minor population centers but sit in an area that supports Russian frontline positions around Lyman.

These battlefield claims have not been independently verified. By early 29 September, Russian officials had not publicly acknowledged any withdrawal from the listed locations, in keeping with a pattern in which Moscow is slow to confirm Ukrainian advances.

For Ukrainian troops fighting in this sector, each settlement taken would mean Russian artillery pushed farther away and more movement routes without direct enemy observation. For any civilians who remained in these places, the arrival of Ukrainian forces would mean an end to Russian occupation but could also bring renewed shelling as Russian units attempt to hit newly lost ground.

On the Russian side, setbacks north of Lyman would add strain to a frontline that already covers long stretches of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Pulling back forces there can complicate logistics and fuel concerns among Russian soldiers about being outflanked or cut off.

The Ukrainian description of Operation Vivaldi emphasizes deception, underlining a broader effort to probe and unsettle Russian defenses that were designed for static trench warfare. The more often Ukrainian forces can mislead Russian commanders about the real axis of attack, the harder it becomes for Moscow to decide where to send reserves.

Operation Vivaldi is also resonating inside Russia. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Ukrainian push has become a focus for Russian ultranationalist military bloggers, who are using the reported losses to attack the competence of Russia’s Defense Ministry. Their anger over these battlefield setbacks adds a political cost to any further retreats in the area.

The next indicators to watch are whether Ukrainian units can hold Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka and Novomykhailivka against Russian counter‑attacks, and whether Russian command commits additional forces or airpower to stabilize the Lyman sector, which would signal that Moscow views Operation Vivaldi as a serious threat to its local defensive line.