Ukraine says its Operation Vivaldi offensive has pushed Russia back in the Donbas

The story

Ukrainian forces say a counteroffensive in the eastern Donbas region has taken back 277 square kilometers, about 106 square miles, over recent months. Kyiv calls it Operation Vivaldi, named for its four stages, like the four seasons in the composer's famous concertos.

The push, centered near the town of Lyman, stopped a Russian attempt to close in on cities in the region that Ukraine still holds. Kyiv says Russia suffered 8,000 casualties in the operation alone. Moscow has not acknowledged the lost ground, and its defense ministry says only that its troops were repelling attacks in the area, though some pro Russian military bloggers have admitted the advances.

Commanders say robots and drones led the assault and that 250 Russian soldiers surrendered. Over a campaign lasting about a year, they say 16 settlements have been freed. Much of the land is badly damaged and still too dangerous for people to return to. In the village of Karpivka, troops found just one resident left, a man of 61 who had lived alone for eight months.

The gains come at a hard moment. Ukraine said this week that the military version of the Starlink satellite network, which links its drones and units across the front, had been restricted without warning. President Trump has denied limiting Ukraine's access.

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured badly. President Zelensky said this week he felt betrayed by Trump, who in turn said he was not a fan of the Ukrainian leader. For now, soldiers coming off the front say the offensive has renewed their belief that Ukraine can still win.