Ukrainian troops infiltrated the rear of Russian forces near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, after traveling about 15 kilometers (9 miles) through underground gas pipelines, the 2nd Khartiia Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard said Oct. 22.
The operation, codenamed “Veles,” was carried out by Khartiia’s 2nd Corps along with other Ukrainian units, according to the corps.
The commander of Khartiia, Brig. Gen. Ihor Obolienskyi said Ukrainian forces had studied how Russian troops used underground routes and anticipated they would attempt to exploit major gas pipelines running through Kharkiv Oblast.
“The Russians intended to use the gas routes to penetrate the rear of our forces, so we went underground ourselves,” Obolienskyi said.
According to Khartiia, Ukrainian troops crossed the pipelines before combining the underground advance with air operations, including drone strikes.
The corps said more than 30 Russian soldiers were captured during the operation and Russian forces suffered more than 100 casualties. The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify these figures.
Obolienskyi said the goal was both to stop Russian troops underground and to undermine the tactics they used on the ground and in the air.
“We anticipated the actions of the enemy and mastered the tactics of conducting combat operations underground,” he said.
Russian forces have repeatedly used gas pipelines to covertly move their troops around the Kupiansk sector. In January, Ukrainian troops said they had stopped a Russian attack involving around 50 soldiers who were trying to advance through the Soyuz gas pipeline.
Most recently, Khartiia said, Russian troops retreating near Kupiansk used civilians as human shields, leading a group including children and elderly people toward the Shebelinka-Ostrogozhsk pipeline and forcing them into the pipeline toward Russian-controlled territory. Ukrainian troops say they did not open fire because civilians were present
“When the battlefield became transparent, the war became clandestine,” the corps said when announcing the operation on October 21.
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