Zelensky says Ukrainian forces recapture territory in multiple offensives

President Volodymyr Zelensky told his nightly video audience that Ukrainian forces are regaining ground through a series of offensives. He highlighted a previously unannounced operation, dubbed "Veles," in which troops employed underground gas pipelines near Kupiansk to counter Russian advances.

"It is a strong operation, well planned and technology-driven. The Russians tried to use underground gas pipelines to advance past our positions," Zelensky said.

"Our fighters turned this tactic against the Russians and used the underground infrastructure against the occupiers with extraordinary success," he added.

Zelensky also referenced an air-assault operation in eastern Ukraine and the "Vivaldi" offensive further north, aimed at halting Russian moves toward the fortified belt around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. According to a senior commander, the Third Army Corps cleared about 75 square kilometres of Russian infiltration and reclaimed an additional 10 square kilometres.

He noted that Ukraine's battlefield position is the strongest it has been in the four-and-a-half-year conflict, but could improve with more air-defence systems from Western partners. The president recalled earlier successes, such as the return of 26 villages in a southern offensive announced in August.

Russian officials continue to claim progress across the 1,200-km front, with General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov stating that Moscow has captured 92 Ukrainian settlements since September. Ukrainian military officials have dismissed those assertions.