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Ukrainian special forces killed 108 Russian soldiers, captured another 29, and struck more than 1,100 Russian targets during a seven-week operation in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on Oct. 20.
According to HUR's Active Operations Department, the operation was carried out by its Group 10 special forces unit, which reportedly thwarted Russian offensive plans and prevented Russian troops from cutting off Ukrainian logistical routes in the region.
Over the course of seven weeks, Ukrainian operatives cleared Russian troops from more than 600 hectares of forest before handing over the positions to Ukraine's Defense Forces, the intelligence agency said.
HUR did not specify the exact location of the operation or when it took place.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Ukraine's defensive operations reduced the pace of Russia's territorial advances by more than half in the first six months of 2026, then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on July 10.
Separately, on Sept. 28, Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps reported further territorial gains in northern Donetsk Oblast as part of Operation Vivaldi, a counteroffensive that had reclaimed a total of 176 square kilometers. According to the corps, the latest phase of the operation inflicted more than 2,000 Russian casualties and resulted in the capture of over 250 Russian soldiers.
