(Kharkiv) – Ukrainian Defence Intelligence troops have carried out a high risk heliborne assault in the Kharkiv region, targeting enemy positions and infrastructure in a bold effort to stall the Russian invasion across the Oskil River. The operation, conducted by elite soldiers of the Timur special unit, marks a significant blow to Russian military presence in the area.
The Ukrainian forces were airlifted into enemy-occupied territory using multiple helicopters, including a UH-60 Black Hawk. While the specific date of the operation has not been revealed, it forms part of a wider spring campaign to prevent Russian occupiers from entrenching themselves on the western bank of the river.
According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), the mission led to the destruction or damage of roughly 600 enemy underground shelters, nine ammunition depots, and eight river crossings. Among the equipment eliminated were 49 artillery guns and howitzers, 17 vehicles including motorcycles, three boats, two tanks, and two artillery systems.
The DIU reported that 439 Russian troops were killed or wounded, and six were taken prisoner. In video footage released by the DIU, Ukrainian forces are seen carrying out airborne landings, direct assaults, drone strikes, and sabotage missions behind enemy lines.
The video also features scenes from artillery and mortar units, FPV drone attacks, and the brave work of field medics and drivers in combat zones. Units involved in the complex operation included the Yunger, Bratstvo, Nobody, Raven Group, and several other special formations, along with Belarusian and Siberian volunteer battalions.
Separately, Ukrainian drone units successfully intercepted and destroyed a Russian military fuel train in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region. The convoy was travelling along the railway stretch between Verkhnii Tokmak, Molochansk, and Fedorivka. This strike disrupted Russian logistics and fuel supplies deep within occupied territory.
