Ukraine recaptures territory in offensive operations, Zelenskiy says

Oct 27, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 27, 2026, that Kyiv's forces are retaking key territory in major offensives, including Operation Veles, where troops advanced 15 kilometers through underground gas pipelines near Kupiansk. While Ukraine holds its strongest frontline position in a long time, Zelenskyy called for urgent Western deliveries of Patriot air defense systems amid escalating Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv's infrastructure and logistics.

Assessments of Ukraine's frontline position

▪The Institute for the Study of War reported in October 2026 that Ukrainian forces had retaken operational initiative across most major front sectors and challenged Russia's strategic initiative since late 2025.
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on October 27, 2026 that Ukrainian forces had recaptured territory and secured their strongest frontline positions in a long time through multiple major offensive operations.

Ukrainian liberation of settlements

▪Ukrainian Air Assault Forces liberated more than 800 square kilometers across 26 settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions between January 29 and August 12, 2026.
▪Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported that Operation Vivaldi returned the settlements of Kolodiazi, Lypove, and Zelena Dolyna in the Donetsk region to Ukrainian control.

Operation Vivaldi near Lyman

▪In Operation Vivaldi near Lyman, Ukraine's Third Army Corps retook 277 square kilometers, liberated 16 towns and villages, and pushed Russian forces back from the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk highway.
▪Third Army Corps commander Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletsky reported that Operation Vivaldi disrupted Russia's strategic plan to advance from the Chornyi Zherebets River and encircle Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Operation Veles near Kupiansk

▪Ukrainian forces adapted and refined underground pipeline tactics previously attempted by Russian troops, combining subterranean maneuvers with surface operations and drone strikes during Operation Veles.
▪During Operation Veles near Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, Ukrainian Khartiia Corps forces advanced over 15 kilometers underground through gas pipelines behind Russian positions.
▪During Operation Veles near Kupiansk, Ukrainian forces killed more than 100 Russian soldiers and captured over 30 Russian prisoners of war.

Russian claims of battlefield advances

▪Chief of Russia's General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed Russian forces captured 92 Ukrainian settlements since early September 2026, statements which the Ukrainian military dismissed as false.
▪Russian military commanders repeatedly state in announcements in President Vladimir Putin's presence that Russian forces are advancing across all sections of the 1,200-kilometer front line.

Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure

▪Russian Iskander ballistic missile strikes damaged Kyiv's Southern Bridge and a university campus, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy termed a serious escalation targeting Ukrainian logistics.
▪Russian military strikes overnight targeted energy facilities, logistics, and infrastructure across 10 Ukrainian regions.

Patriot air defense support

▪Poland announced it will host the only maintenance center for US-made Patriot air-defense systems outside the United States to support Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that further deliveries of Patriot and other Western air defense systems would significantly strengthen Ukraine's frontline defenses and diplomatic posture.

Nordic leaders call with Putin

▪The Kremlin made no indication of softening its stance during the call with Nordic leaders, maintaining that any war resolution must unconditionally incorporate Russia's security interests.
▪Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated the call with Vladimir Putin aimed to present European perspectives directly and urge concrete steps to de-escalate attacks on energy infrastructure and grain exports.
▪Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, 2026 before speaking with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.