Ukraine Claims Territorial Gains with "Operation Veles" as Both Sides Launch Overnight Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today that Ukrainian forces are making territorial gains through a series of offensives, marking Kyiv's strongest battlefield position in some time. He highlighted "Operation Veles," where Ukrainian troops reportedly infiltrated Russian positions near Kupiansk in the northeast via underground pipelines, eliminating over 100 Russian soldiers and capturing more than 30. Zelenskyy also mentioned an air assault operation in eastern Ukraine and "Vivaldi" in the north to counter Russian advances. Meanwhile, both sides conducted significant overnight strikes. Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv, damaging a university campus and the Southern Bridge with four Iskander missiles, according to a Ukrainian military source. Energy facilities, logistics, and infrastructure in 10 other regions were also targeted. Concurrently, Ukraine reportedly struck Russia's largest steel plant, the Novolipetsk Steel Plant (NLMK), and a chemical factory in Lipetsk, Russia, where fires were reported. Russian authorities claimed 45 drones were shot down over the Lipetsk region.

In diplomatic developments, US President Donald Trump stated early today that a meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be arranged "very soon." This follows a call on Tuesday where Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere urged Putin to end the war, with reports indicating Putin focused on historical narratives rather than immediate ceasefire discussions.