Ukraine claims liberation of 16 villages in Donetsk amid intensified counteroffensive

Ukraine announced that its counteroffensive in the eastern Donetsk region has freed 16 villages, amounting to 277 square kilometres of territory, according to Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi of the Third Army Corps. The latest gains include three villages located about 30 km north of Sloviansk, a key defensive bastion.

Biletskyi said the operation, launched last month and named “Vivaldi,” aims to push Russian forces out of the area that anchors Ukraine’s eastern “fortress belt.” He added that Moscow’s ambition to capture the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions is unlikely to materialise soon. The offensive coincides with heightened Russian air attacks elsewhere and comes as Ukraine adopts new tactics and technology. Kyiv also accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of limiting Starlink connectivity, which it says hampers its drone operations.