Ukraine’s HUR Took the Forest, Broke the Offensive, and Fooled Russia for Two Weeks

Ukrainian military intelligence says a seven-week special operation in the Sumy region stopped a Russian offensive, cleared 642 hectares of contested forest, and left Russian commanders believing for another two weeks that positions already lost to Ukraine were still under their control.

The operation, codenamed “Cheburechna,” was carried out by Group 10 of the Active Operations Department of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) on November 5.

Preparations lasted roughly a month, giving the unit time to train specifically for the terrain and mission ahead.

“We were told roughly what kind of work it would be and what we had to prepare for, and we adapted to those conditions… That month gave us more time to prepare in a more specialized, more focused way,” one operator recalled, according to Militarnyi.

The combat phase lasted seven weeks and unfolded in two stages across difficult terrain marked by steep wooded slopes and ravines that troops compared to the Carpathian Mountains.

Ukrainian assault groups first opened logistics routes, pushed deeper into the forests, set ambushes, and gradually forced Russian troops out of their positions.

The operation’s unusual nickname came from the number of Russian prisoners taken during the mission.

“When you take a prisoner, you report that you have plus one cheburek . That is where the name comes from—from the number of chebureks on this mission,” the special forces operators explained.

The fighting took place under intense pressure. Russian forces repeatedly shelled the area with artillery and used drones carrying incendiary munitions, setting sections of the surrounding terrain on fire.

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Despite that, Ukrainian units managed to operate in Russia’s rear without immediately revealing their presence.

“The enemy still didn’t understand that we were there… We carried out active actions, captured a group of enemy troops, brought them back to our main forces, and remained on the forward edge,” HUR personnel said.

Ukraine also conducted a radio deception operation intended to prevent Russian commanders from understanding the true situation on the ground.

The deception apparently continued working even after Ukrainian forces had completed their mission.

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“Even during the second stage, when we had finished the work, and all of us had already left the mission area, the occupiers’ command still thought for another two weeks that those were their forests, their positions. They were dropping packages to them and trying to establish communication,” the operators said.

HUR said the operation ultimately halted the Russian advance on that axis, preserved Ukrainian logistics routes, and allowed the captured positions to be handed over to other Defense Forces units that established defensive lines there.

Four Ukrainian fighters were killed during the operation: “Yuki,” “Travka,” “Syoma,” and “Bas.”

According to the official results released by Ukrainian intelligence, 107 Russian troops were killed, 157 were wounded, and 29 were taken prisoner.

Ukrainian forces also reported destroying 61 UAV launch sites and command posts, 31 artillery systems, 368 vehicles, and 630 Russian shelters and fortified positions.

“The value of these two stages of the operation is truly very high. Thanks to them, allied units have now established defensive lines there and continue to hold the defense,” the Ukrainian troops said.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukrainian forces liberated three settlements near Oleksandrivka and continued pressing Russian positions, prompting Moscow to redirect marine and armored units that had been intended for offensive operations elsewhere.

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