Zelenskyy: Ukraine's front-line positions are strongest in a long time
The president identified three key operations of the year and stated that increased partner support in air defense systems will strengthen Ukraine's diplomatic position.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on October 27 that Ukrainian forces' front-line positions are currently the strongest in a long time since the beginning of the war, highlighting three operations that have shaped the campaign this year.
The first — an offensive by the Airborne Assault Forces — Zelenskyy characterized as the liberation of more than 800 square kilometers of territory and 26 settlements in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The operation took place from January 29 to August 12.
The second was Operation "Vivaldi" by the 3rd Army Corps in the Lyman area of Donetsk region — from July to mid-October. According to Zelenskyy, during the operation more than 200 square kilometers of territory were liberated in the area where Russia had concentrated its attacks. When the operation concluded on October 14, the corps commander Brigadier General Andriy Biletskiy reported the return of 277 square kilometers and more than 16 settlements, as well as Russian troop losses of at least 8,000 personnel. The Ukrainian side contends that the operation pushed Russian forces away from the strategic Slavyansk–Kramatorsk highway.
The third operation Zelenskyy named was Operation "Veles" — an underground operation by the "Khartiya" Corps of the National Guard in the Kupiansk area. The president confirmed data first published by the corps on October 22: more than 30 Russian military personnel were captured, and enemy losses exceeded 100 personnel. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian forces adopted and improved their opponent's tactics — the use of underground gas pipelines for covert movement, making it "considerably more sophisticated and technologically advanced." Results of the operation were reported to the president by Commander-in-Chief Mikhaylo Drapaty, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palis, and "Khartiya" Corps commander Brigadier General Igor Obolenskiy.
In a Telegram statement, Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine's stronger diplomatic position depends on increased partner support — primarily supplies of air defense systems.
The Russian side did not provide its assessment of these operations in this material.
Sources — how we know this
2 independent sources corroborated this