Russian soldiers are digging tunnels to sneak up on Ukrainian positions without being seen by their lethal drones, Kyiv says

• Russia has been adapting its fighting tactics in its attempt to retake a key village, Ukraine said.
• A spokesperson said Ukrainian troops have witnessed Russia digging tunnels for "camouflage."

Russian soldiers are digging tunnels to sneak up on Ukrainian positions without Ukraine's lethal drones seeing them, a military spokesperson said.

In an effort to retake the eastern town of Andriivka in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine, Russian troops are turning to new tactics, Anton Kotsukon, a spokesperson for a Ukrainian brigade fighting in the area, said in a televised address on Saturday.

"In the Andriivka direction, the Russians began to use new tactics. They are digging tunnels closer to our positions," Kotsukon said, according to a translation by the Ukrainian nongovernmental organization Euromaidan Press.

Kotsukon is a spokesperson for the 110th Mechanized Brigade. The brigade was crucial in recapturing Andriivka in September.

He said the tunnels are there for "camouflage" from Ukraine's surveillance drones and so that the Russians can "suddenly emerge closer to our positions."

Militaries have engaged in tunnel warfare since Roman times. Viet Cong guerillas used a sophisticated network of tunnels to attack US soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Putin's forces have repeatedly attempted to recapture the town in one of its biggest offensive efforts in months. Its soldiers are attempting to flank Andriivka but are suffering serious losses to Ukrainian artillery and drones.

Ukraine's drones have been particularly effective. A video Ukraine's military shared last week appeared to show Russian tanks and armor being destroyed as they headed toward the village.

Ukraine said it used a combination of first-person view drones, US-provided Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, and mortars for the operation.

The Ukrainian General Staff said Friday that in one day of fighting in the area, nearly 900 Russians died, and 100 units of their armored equipment were also destroyed.

Due to heavy losses, Russia is attempting to resupply its troops as quickly as possible.

Speaking on Saturday, Kotsukon said that Russia is now using remote-controlled vehicles the size of cars to send ammunition to the front lines.

"They have enough resources, very fierce battles continue every day, every day they throw new and new forces into the assaults — both personnel and armored vehicles, aviation, artillery," he said, according to a translation by the Kyiv Independent.

"However, our defenders are firmly holding the defenses and inflict considerable losses on the enemy," Kotsukon added.