Ukrainian forces have moved underground more than 15 kilometers in the Kupyansk direction as part of Operation Veles, announced the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, over 100 Russian servicemen were killed during the operation, and more than 30 were captured.
The operation is being carried out by the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Khartya". Mikhail Drapati, Igor Obolensky and Pavel Palisa reported on the initial results and its progress. The data on the movement and losses were presented by Zelensky and are not accompanied by independent confirmation in the publication.
„More than a hundred Russian servicemen have already been destroyed, more than thirty have been taken prisoner. The movement underground is over 15 kilometers“, Volodymyr Zelensky said.Ukraine has used underground communications
The Ukrainian president said that Russian forces have already made attempts to use underground gas communications to pass through Ukrainian positions and reach areas for assault operations.
According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian military has changed this tactic, modernized it and made it more technological. "We are protecting the lives of our people, inflicting losses on the occupiers and achieving the set goals of the Kupyansk direction," he said.
The broader context of the fighting
The UNIAN publication cited an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, according to which between September 1 and October 16, Russian forces lost control over 112 square kilometers of territory. Since the beginning of the year, the Russian army has captured about 100 square kilometers, according to the same estimate.
Brigadier General Andrey Beletsky said that the Ukrainian operation "Vivaldi" has led to significant losses in the Russian 144th Motorized Rifle Division. According to him, the formation has effectively ceased to exist as an organized fighting force and Russia will have to restore its combat capability before undertaking new offensive actions towards Liman.
The Institute for the Study of War assessed that “Vivaldi“ has thwarted the Russian command's plans to encircle Ukrainian forces from the north in the area of the fortified belt of the Donetsk region. Ukrainian units have reached the Zherebets River, which has shortened the front line and allowed the organization of defense in more favorable positions. According to this assessment, to resume the offensive towards Liman, Russian forces will have to cross the river again.
Sources: unian.net