Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps has liberated the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove and secured full control of Drobysheve, bringing the total territory recovered in Operation Vivaldi to 125 square kilometers.
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps announced on September 20 that its forces have liberated the villages of Shandryholove and Derylove in northern Donetsk region and established full control over Drobysheve, bringing the total territory regained during Operation Vivaldi to 125 square kilometers. Open-source analysts have called it one of the most significant Ukrainian battlefield successes of 2026. Volunteers Support Ukraine celebrates this achievement alongside the soldiers who made it possible and the communities finally free of occupation.
Soldiers marked the liberation of Shandryholove by raising a Ukrainian flag over the village's road sign, a simple but powerful image of territory returning to Ukrainian control after enemy occupation. The DeepState monitoring project mapped both Shandryholove and Derylove as de-occupied on September 20, corroborating the 3rd Army Corps' own announcement. Volunteers Support Ukraine is glad to share stories like this one, which show that Ukrainian resilience continues to produce real, measurable gains.
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the 3rd Army Corps, said the operation unfolded in two phases, with 50 square kilometers of territory liberated outright and the rest secured through the broader advance. "The music of Vivaldi continues," Biletskyi said, describing how his units are innovating on the battlefield: the corps says it was the first in the world to begin air-deploying ground robotic systems, using heavy bomber drones to carry small ground robots more than 10 kilometers into enemy-held territory ahead of infantry advances.
The operation has ground down units from Russia's 20th and 25th Combined Arms Armies and the 1st Guards Tank Army simultaneously, according to the 3rd Army Corps, which estimates Russian losses at over 3,000 personnel across the two phases of the operation, including roughly 800 in the most recent phase alone. Analysts say the advance is likely to delay Russia's broader planned offensive on northern Donbas, giving Ukrainian forces valuable time and momentum on this part of the front.
Multiple units contributed to the operation, including the 60th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 3rd Assault Brigade, the KRAKEN regiment, HUR's Artan special unit, and reconnaissance and anti-tank battalions working alongside the corps' growing fleet of ground and aerial drones. Soldiers describe drones and unmanned ground vehicles moving ahead of infantry during assaults, reducing the risk to the troops who follow.
Days dominated by strikes and loss make victories like Operation Vivaldi all the more important to share. Volunteers Support Ukraine is proud to support the people defending and rebuilding these communities, and will keep highlighting stories of resilience and progress like this one alongside its ongoing humanitarian work.
