President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a visit to a Ukrainian military command post near the town of Lyman on Wednesday, where he met frontline commanders, decorated servicemen, and discussed plans for the next phase of Operation Vivaldi — the counteroffensive that Ukrainian officials say has thwarted Russia's push toward the Donbas "fortress cities."
The president posted a video on Telegram showing him conferring with commanders over regional maps and handing out decorations to soldiers serving near Lyman, on the boundary of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"A serious operation, important in many ways for our defence overall and in Donbas in particular," Zelensky wrote, praising what he described as significant gains against Russian forces during the counteroffensive.
A fourth phase is being prepared
According to Ukraine's leadership, a fourth phase of Operation Vivaldi is now being planned. The plans were discussed at the command post of the 3rd Army Corps, which is leading the operation, during Wednesday's meetings.
Over the first three phases, Ukrainian forces have recaptured 176 square kilometres of territory, according to both Zelensky and the corps commander, Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi. More than 5,000 Russian casualties and 250 captured Russian soldiers have been reported across the three phases — figures Kyiv has described as battlefield assessments that have not been independently verified.
Analysts at the Atlantic Council have said the offensive has reversed more than a year of Russian advances in the sector, an assessment Zelensky echoed when he said Ukraine's forces had "thwarted Russia's plans to break through the rear of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk" region and stabilised that section of the front.
Robots to replace soldiers "whenever possible"
One of the most notable themes of the visit was the future of warfare. Zelensky said Ukraine's military is considering expanding its ground robotic systems and scaling up drone capabilities, describing the shift as a central lesson of the operation.
"Replacing our soldiers with ground robotic systems whenever possible is a highly promising area at present," the president said, adding that during Operation Vivaldi the technology "made it possible to accomplish a great deal."
The remark builds on Ukraine's growing use of unmanned systems in the sector — from fibre-optic FPV drones to remote-controlled ground vehicles — as Kyiv tries to hold hard-won gains while limiting its own personnel losses.
The 66th Brigade and the Lyman sector
Zelensky visited the command post of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which is operating across the Lyman sector, to award soldiers and meet brigade commanders. According to the Presidential Office, the brigade has taken part in the liberation of Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova, Serednie, Shandryholove and the area around Koroviy Yar.
He was accompanied by Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapaty, and Air Assault Forces commander Oleh Apostol.
In his talks with the commanders, the president discussed practical needs: pick-up trucks for brigades, increased funding for drones, simplified procurement, expanded staffing, and long-range artillery.
Biletskyi said earlier this week that the third phase of the operation — which he called a turning point — liberated the villages of Ridkodub, Nove and Katerynivka and restored full Ukrainian control over Karpivka and Novomykhailivka, reclaiming another 51 square kilometres and taking more than 250 Russian soldiers prisoner.
Why Lyman matters
The Lyman sector sits directly in front of the Ukrainian defensive network around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk — the "fortress cities" that have anchored Kyiv's defence of the northern Donbas for years. Moscow has repeatedly named full control of the Donbas as its main territorial demand at any negotiations.
Ukrainian officials say the operation prevented Russian forces from breaking through the rear of those defensive lines. The Russian defence ministry has not publicly commented on the specific Ukrainian claims about the operation.
A presidential visit to an active frontline sector, combined with the announced shift toward robotic systems, signals that Kyiv intends to keep the initiative around Lyman rather than simply defending it. If a fourth phase of Operation Vivaldi proceeds, the question will be whether Ukraine can convert its local momentum into lasting territorial control — and whether Moscow, stretched across a long front line, can mount a meaningful response.
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