Ukrainian troops infiltrate Russian rear through gas pipelines near Kupiansk, Khartiia says
The operation, code-named "Veles," was carried out by the National Guard's 2nd Khartiia Corps together with other Ukrainian units, according to the corps.
Ukrainian troops penetrated the back lines of Russian forces near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast by traveling 15 kilometers (9 miles) through underground gas pipelines, according to the National Guard's 2nd Khartiia Corps, which reported the operation on October 22. This raid, dubbed "Veles," was conducted in collaboration with other Ukrainian units.
Brig. Gen. Ihor Obolienskyi, the corps' commander, explained that Ukrainian forces had observed Russian tactics involving underground routes and predicted they would exploit the extensive gas pipelines in the region. The Russian objective was to infiltrate Ukrainian rear areas via these pipelines, prompting the Ukrainian countermeasure.
The Khartiia Corps explained that Ukrainian troops initially moved through the pipelines before transitioning to above-ground actions, including drone strikes. More than 30 Russian soldiers were captured during the operation, while Russian forces reportedly suffered over 100 casualties. The exact figures have not been independently verified by The Kyiv Independent.
Obolienskyi emphasized that the mission aimed to halt Russian troop movements underground and disrupt their ground and aerial tactics. Ukrainian forces have previously thwarted similar Russian incursions, such as in January when they stopped a force of approximately 50 Russian soldiers attempting to advance through the Soyuz gas pipeline.
In a more recent incident, Khartiia reported that retreating Russian troops near Kupiansk had used civilians as human shields, forcing them into a pipeline toward Russian-held territory without firing due to the presence of civilians.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
