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Ukraine disrupts Russian Donbas encirclement via Operation Vivaldi
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Ukrainian forces have successfully disrupted Russian military plans in the Donbas region. Through a months-long counteroffensive known as ‘Operation Vivaldi,’ Ukraine has broken the Russian attempt to encircle the ‘fortress belt’ of cities including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka. This operational setback in the north is expected to force the Russian military to reorganize its approach to the Donetsk Oblast.
Reports indicate that Russian territorial gains have slowed significantly, with September 2026 being noted as the month with the lowest net gains for Russia since mid-2023. While Russia continues to launch intense assaults in the southern Donbas, Ukrainian forces have reorganized defenses to prevent further encirclement of major cities.
In a separate diplomatic development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Erdoğan emphasized Turkey's readiness to facilitate direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine and stressed the critical importance of ensuring maritime navigation safety in the Black Sea, following recent incidents involving vessels near the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania.
Entities
Black Sea · Donetsk · Donetsk Oblast · Fyodor Lukyanov · Institute for the Study of War · Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · Ukraine · Valdai Discussion Club · Vladimir Putin
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] September 2026 saw the lowest net territorial gains for Russia since June 2023. fakti.bg · thenightly.com.au
- [● 3 SOURCES] President Erdoğan expressed Turkey's readiness to facilitate direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. fr.businessam.be · kliuki.bg · www.yenisafak.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Ukrainian offensive known as Operation Vivaldi has disrupted the Russian northern pincer. notiziedi.it · www.corcianonline.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.sardegnareporter.it · quotidianodibari.it · +6 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Russian military advances in the Donbas have slowed significantly compared to previous years. fakti.bg · thenightly.com.au
- [● 3 SOURCES] Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ensuring maritime navigation safety in the Black Sea. fr.businessam.be · kliuki.bg · www.yenisafak.com
- [● 9 SOURCES] Ukrainian forces have disrupted Russian plans to encircle the Donetsk fortress belt. notiziedi.it · www.corcianonline.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.sardegnareporter.it · quotidianodibari.it · +4 more