On Tuesday, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) announced that elite special forces carried out a significant offensive operation behind Russian lines, resulting in the deaths of more than 330 Russian troops.
According to HUR, the mission—led by the elite “Timur” special unit—was launched at dawn and targeted advancing Russian forces in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian operatives reportedly breached Russian defenses, engaging in intense close-quarters combat and delivering coordinated drone and artillery strikes that decimated enemy positions.
While the precise date and location of the operation were not disclosed, HUR noted that Russian momentum in the Sumy region has stalled in recent weeks due to firm Ukrainian resistance.
Footage released by Ukrainian intelligence captured the daring assault: troops were seen approaching their objective in a low-altitude helicopter, before disembarking into forested terrain and opening fire with automatic weapons, machine guns, and grenade launchers. Explosions echoed through the trees as artillery support rained down on enemy positions. The aftermath showed bodies strewn across the battleground.
Outside the wooded area, members of the Timur unit advanced rapidly in open vehicles, launching drones from rural fields. Ukrainian forces also intercepted Russian radio transmissions during the battle, in which panicked Russian soldiers reportedly refused to continue attacking Ukrainian positions—giving what HUR described as “weak and implausible excuses.”
According to HUR estimates, at least 334 Russian troops were killed and more than 550 injured during the raid. The operation also reportedly disrupted key Russian supply lines, including food and ammunition delivery routes.
The assault was a coordinated effort involving multiple units under the Timur command structure, including the Chymera, Yunger, Stugna, Siberian Battalion, Aratta, 1514, Paragon, Art Division, First Line, Raven Group, and the 6th Special Operations Unit.
Russian troops had entered the Sumy region earlier this year after reclaiming much of the neighboring Kursk Oblast in western Russia. Their aim was to establish a “buffer zone” along Ukraine’s northeastern frontier. However, Ukrainian officials claim to have stopped the incursion and have even regained control of some villages in the area.
Adding to the report, Severnnyi, a prominent Russian military blogger, stated on Monday that Russian forces had become encircled near the village of Oleksiivka in Sumy. “We’re trapped,” he wrote. “There’s water on three sides, and the Ukrainians on the fourth.”
The Timur unit—named after its commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Timur—is a high-level coordination body within Ukraine’s defense intelligence service. In August 2024, the commander gained widespread recognition for raising the Ukrainian flag in Crimea for the first time in a decade during a covert operation. Earlier in March 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Timur operatives were also engaged in fighting pro-Russian forces in Sudan.
HUR concluded the video of the operation with a defiant message: “The armed struggle continues. Glory to Ukraine!”
