30.10.2026 00:11
In the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian soldiers attempting to infiltrate using underground gas pipelines were met with an operation by the Ukrainian army. After clashes inside the narrow pipes, it was announced that more than 30 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner. Footage of the moment was also released, while the Ukrainian army this time used the infiltration method employed by Russian units against them.
It was determined that Russian soldiers on the Kupyansk front in Ukraine's Kharkiv region were trying to get behind Ukrainian positions by using underground gas pipelines. Acting against this method that Russian units have long used, the Ukrainian army entered the pipelines with an operation announced on October 21 and named "Veles".
In the operation carried out by the 2nd Khartiya Corps, part of Ukraine's National Guard, soldiers advanced behind Russian positions using the underground gas pipes.
CLASHES ERUPTED INSIDE NARROW PIPES
The most striking detail of the operation was that the clashes took place inside the narrow underground pipes. Entering the gas line, which is about 1.2 meters in diameter, Ukrainian soldiers advanced for kilometers and reached the points where Russian units were located.
Armed clashes took place between the two sides inside the pipes, where the space for movement was extremely limited. Ukrainian units conducted their underground advance simultaneously with ground operations and drone attacks on the surface.
MORE THAN 30 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS TAKEN PRISONER
According to information announced by the Ukrainian army on October 22, more than 15 kilometers of underground progress was achieved as part of the operation. Some crossing points used by Russian units were brought under control, while more than 30 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner.
The Ukrainian side also announced that the Russian army suffered more than 100 troop losses during the operation. However, the announced casualty and prisoner figures could not be verified by independent sources.
"WE USED THE RUSSIANS' TACTICS AGAINST THEM"
Brigadier General Ihor Obolenskyi, commander of the Khartiya Corps, who made a statement regarding the operation, said that they had been monitoring the Russian soldiers' underground movements for a long time.
Obolenskyi explained that Russian units aimed to reach behind Ukrainian defenses by using gas pipelines, and said they had detected this plan in advance and used the same method against the Russian soldiers.
THE NEW FRONT OF THE WAR HAS BECOME UNDERGROUND
In the Russia-Ukraine war, drones making movement on the front line increasingly difficult has pushed the parties toward alternative routes. In particular, the old gas pipelines around Kupyansk gained strategic importance in terms of allowing soldiers to advance unnoticed.
The Ukrainian army continues its underground operations to prevent Russian soldiers from passing through these lines and reaching behind defensive positions. The clashes in narrow spaces have revealed that the war now continues not only on land and in the air, but also underground.