Arabic version: هجوم أوكرانيا الروبوتي يستعيد أراضي قرب ليمان

According to Cnbc, Ukraine’s robot-led Operation Vivaldi has retaken 176 square kilometers near Lyman in the Donbas, reversing more than a year of Russian territorial gains in the area. The operation, which began in May, has used large bomber drones and remote-controlled ground robots behind Russian lines in northern Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainian Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi said the third phase liberated a further 51 square kilometers. He said the latest fighting caused more than 2,000 Russian losses and led to the capture of more than 250 Russian soldiers. Russian forces had sought for 12 months to encircle Ukraine’s remaining-held “fortress belt” cities in the region.

Patrick Bolder, a defense expert and strategic adviser at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, called the operation a “big bloody nose” for President Vladimir Putin’s goal of taking the Donbas. He said Ukrainian forces disrupted frontline logistics, secured control of the air around Lyman and denied Russia the use of its drones before deploying their own systems to attack troops from behind.

Security experts said the offensive was not a decisive breakthrough, but highlighted Ukraine’s ability to innovate on the battlefield. David Kirichenko of the Henry Jackson Society said it delivered “a powerful message to Moscow and to Kyiv’s partners” that Ukraine’s military can still defeat Russian forces.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would expand the use of ground robotic systems, with drones taking on dangerous frontline tasks more often. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, said the systematic replacement of personnel with robots was changing modern warfare by allowing tasks to be completed with fewer personnel losses.