Ukraine’s National Guard 2nd Khartiia Corps said its forces used a gas pipeline to reach Russian positions near Kupiansk and capture more than 30 prisoners, describing a mission to block Russian access behind Ukrainian lines.
The corps announced Operation Veles on Oct. 22. It said troops coordinated the underground advance with activity above ground and drone strikes intended to prevent Russian forces from reaching positions behind Ukrainian lines.
The Independent reported Wednesday that soldiers traveled nine miles through muddy pipelines to reach their target. The corps separately said the full underground advance exceeded 15 kilometers, but did not specify how much of it took place inside a pipeline.
Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region, returned to Ukrainian control in late 2022. The Independent reported that Russian forces have continued to pressure the city.
The corps initially reported more than 100 Russian losses. President Volodymyr Zelensky later described more than 100 Russian troops as “eliminated,” a statement EconoTimes covered in an earlier report on Zelensky’s account of the operation. The Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify the corps’ estimate. Neither account said how many of the reported losses were killed or wounded.
Zelensky said Wednesday that he hoped a meeting of Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators would take place in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 6 to 10. He said Europe should participate in discussions on ending the war.
