Ukraine’s National Guard 2nd Khartiia Corps said its forces moved through underground gas pipelines behind Russian positions near Kupiansk, claiming the maneuver stopped Russian forces from entering the city’s rear.
The corps announced Operation Veles on Oct. 22 and said the underground movement was coordinated with operations above ground and drone strikes. It did not say when the operation took place.
The corps reported that more than 30 Russian troops were captured and Russian “losses” exceeded 100. The Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify those figures.
The corps put the underground route at more than 15 kilometers. Volodymyr Dehtyaryov, a press officer for the corps, described the distance as 10 to 15 kilometers in an interview with Army FM. The announcement described travel underground and did not report a comparable advance above ground.
Dehtyaryov told Army FM that blocking parts of the pipeline did not stop movement because troops could get around damaged sections. Some sections had as many as 10 exits to the surface, he said, so keeping watch from the air required considerable resources.
Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps said Russian forces attempted to use the Soyuz pipeline near Kupiansk in January. The corps said its 77th Brigade stopped the assault, which involved about 50 Russian personnel, and reported at least 40 Russian troops killed.
