On the Kupiansk direction, Ukrainian military continue the special operation "Veles," during which they have already eliminated more than a hundred Russian servicemen and taken over 30 occupiers prisoner. The operation involves the advance of Ukrainian units through underground communications.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported this on Tuesday, October 27, following a briefing by the military command.
According to the head of state, Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard "Khartiia" Ihor Obolenskyi, and Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa reported to him on the first results and progress of the operation.
"Over a hundred Russian occupiers have already been eliminated, and more than thirty have been taken prisoner. Advance underground — more than 15 kilometers," — stated Zelensky.
The President explained that the Russian army had previously used underground gas communications for covert movement through Ukrainian positions and subsequent assault operations.
Ukrainian service members studied this tactic and adapted it for their own offensive operations. According to Zelensky, the Defense Forces refined the approach, making it more technological and deliberate.
"We preserve the lives of our people, inflict losses on the occupiers, and achieve certain goals on the Kupiansk direction," — the President emphasized.
The results of Operation "Veles" were first reported on October 22 by representatives of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard "Khartiia". At that time, the military revealed the main details of the counteroffensive actions, including underground advancement and capture of Russian service members.
According to the corps, Ukrainian units combined underground maneuvers with surface actions and drone strikes. This disrupted the plans of Russian troops for covert infiltration into the rear of Ukrainian positions in the Kupiansk area.
Corps commander Ihor Obolenskyi noted that Ukrainian military had studied the enemy's actions in advance and prepared for combat in difficult conditions. The operation was conducted jointly by several units of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, and military intelligence.
The operation also significantly complicated Russian military logistics on the Kupiansk direction. Viktor Trehubov, a representative of the Joint Forces Grouping, reported this on October 27 on the situation near Kupiansk.
According to him, after the actions of Ukrainian units, Russian troops lost the ability to use one of the important covert routes for infantry transfer. This hampered the infiltration of small assault groups toward Kupiansk.
At the same time, the enemy continues attempts to advance on certain sections and regroup its units. Trehubov stressed that the Russian army has not abandoned plans to expand controlled territory, but its capabilities for covert advancement have diminished.
The Ukrainian command has not yet announced the exact completion date of Operation "Veles". The figures presented by Zelensky reflect the results reported by the military as of October 27.
