Zelenskyy on Operation Veles: Ukrainian forces have successfully adapted underground advance tactics

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on Operation Veles on the Kupiansk front, during which Ukraine's defence forces, under the command of the Khartiia Corps, advanced more than 15 km underground into the Russian rear.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)

Quote: "Our important operation in the Kupiansk sector. [Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief] Mykhailo Drapatyi, [Commander of the 2nd Khartiia Corps] Ihor Obolenskyi, and [Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine] Pavlo Palisa reported on the initial results and progress of Operation Veles, carried out by the Khartiia 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. More than 100 Russian occupiers have already been eliminated, and more than 30 have been taken prisoner. The underground advance has exceeded 15 km."

Details: Zelenskyy added that Russian forces had previously attempted to use underground gas pipelines to advance through Ukrainian positions and launch assaults.

Quote: "Ukrainian warriors have successfully transformed this tactic, modernised it, and made it much more sophisticated and technologically advanced. We are protecting the lives of our people, inflicting losses on the occupiers, and achieving our objectives in the Kupiansk sector."

Background: Earlier, the Khartiia Corps reported that during Operation Veles on the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces advanced more than 15 km through underground tunnels behind Russian lines and captured more than 30 Russian soldiers.

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