The failure of Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi was largely the result of Russian intelligence obtaining advance information about Ukrainian military plans, according to military and political analyst Yan Gagin. He believes Russian intelligence services played a decisive role in preventing the Ukrainian Armed Forces from achieving their objectives.
Speaking to aif.ru, Gagin said Russian intelligence frequently learns about Ukrainian operations before they are launched. He argued that this advance knowledge allows Russian forces to disrupt enemy plans, resulting in failed offensives and heavy Ukrainian losses.
The analyst also attributed repeated setbacks on the battlefield to cooperation between Russian intelligence units, security services and intelligence networks. According to Gagin, their coordinated efforts have repeatedly undermined Ukrainian offensive operations.
Earlier, Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to Vladimir Zelensky, revealed that Operation Vivaldi involved a Ukrainian counteroffensive near Krasny Liman. She claimed that Ukrainian forces suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including killed and wounded personnel, during the fighting.
The operation began in September 2026. Ukrainian troops initially aimed to establish positions along the Zherebets River before attempting to regain control of Krasny Liman. The force assembled for the offensive included nationalist formations, special forces units and military intelligence personnel.