Ukrainian forces used underground gas pipelines to reach the rear of Russian positions near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast during an operation announced on October 21 and detailed on October 22, Ukraine's National Guard 2nd Khartiia Corps said. The corps said the manoeuvre, code-named Veles, covered more than 15 kilometres (9 miles) underground. All battlefield claims in this story are attributed to the Ukrainian corps that reported them.

Source: Kyiv Independent via Suara Garut

According to the corps, Veles resulted in the capture of more than 30 Russian soldiers and inflicted over 100 Russian casualties. The Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify those figures, and Russian officials have not commented on the reported losses in the reports reviewed. The 15-kilometre figure is the troops' underground route, not a confirmed advance of the front line.

The operation combined the concealed movement with coordinated attacks above ground, including drone strikes, Khartiia said. Brigadier General Ihor Obolienskyi, commander of the 2nd Khartiia Corps, said Ukrainian forces had studied Russian tactics involving underground infrastructure before planning their own manoeuvre: "The Russians intended to use the gas routes to penetrate the rear of our forces. So we went underground ourselves."

Units, preparation and a reversed tactic

In a separate statement reported by Kyiv Post, Obolienskyi described Veles as a reversal of Russian tactics, saying Ukrainian troops adapted after examining how Russian forces used concealed routes to bypass defences. Kyiv Post reported the troops navigated confined spaces without GPS, daylight or reliable conventional radio, using navigation, communications and support systems developed for the operation, after physical and psychological preparation for working underground.

Khartiia said the grouping included the National Guard's 13th Khartiia Brigade, the 23rd R.U.G. Assault Regiment, the Lava unmanned systems regiment and the Achilles drone brigade, with Ukraine's military intelligence directorate HUR participating through units including the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps. Khartiia released the first footage of the underground fighting on October 21, saying constant aerial surveillance had made surface movement too dangerous.

Russian forces have previously used gas pipelines to move troops covertly around Kupiansk; in January, Ukrainian troops said they had stopped an assault involving about 50 Russian soldiers attempting to advance through the Soyuz gas pipeline, according to the corps' account reported by the Kyiv Independent. That background is why Khartiia presented Veles as turning a Russian method against its originators — a Ukrainian commander's characterisation, reported as such.