Russian drone pilot losses in Operation Vivaldi hit Moscow hard — Serh Marko

Former Ukrainian serviceman Serh Marko said on Radio NV that Russian drone pilot losses during Operation Vivaldi were very painful for Moscow, as pilots are a scarce asset. Marko noted that Ukrainian forces systematically destroy Russian drone storage bases and logistics, reducing the enemy's ability to strike with UAVs along the front line, though not completely eliminating it. On September 18, the Third Army Corps reported that Operation Vivaldi in northern Donetsk Oblast inflicted losses on Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit, forcing its removal from the Lyman-Borivsk direction.