These pipelines once carried Russian gas to Europe. Now they carry Russian and Ukrainian soldiers into battle.
The Atlantic and The New York Times published reports in October on clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces in underground tunnels beneath the front line. Soldiers travel long distances through gas pipelines to evade drone strikes and catch the enemy off guard. Meduza summarizes the key points from these reports.
In October, The Atlantic and The New York Times reported on Ukrainian and Russian forces clashing within underground tunnels near the front line. These tunnels, once used to transport Russian gas to Europe, now serve as new battlegrounds for soldiers evading drone strikes. Simon Shuster, a journalist and author for The Atlantic, described the pipes as "steel pipes deep below the ground" that soldiers crawl through to ambush each other with machine guns and grenade launchers.
The drone-heavy "kill zone" above ground has forced both armies to fight underground. Ihor Obolensky, commander of the Ukrainian National Guard's 2nd Khartiia Corps, noted that the "kill zone is expanding, getting wider and deadlier." Russian commanders initiated this strategy first, and Ukrainian troops are now "catching up." Ukrainian military sources informed Shuster that Russia had amassed supplies and troops for a potential winter offensive, aiming to break through the kill zone and seize eastern Ukraine.
Control of the gas pipeline network in the contested Donbas region could grant Russia an advantage in this campaign. After Russian troops used tunnels to ambush Ukrainian lines in the Kursk region in 2024, Ukrainian forces began discovering Russian soldiers utilizing similar tactics in other locations. In July, the commander himself descended into the pipes to witness the conditions firsthand, expressing admiration for the soldiers working underground.
Ukrainian forces now primarily operate in the Kharkiv region, defending Kupiansk from Russian troops who frequently appear behind their lines via gas pipelines.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
