Ukrainian unit says troops used gas pipelines to reach Russian rear near Kupiansk
Ukraine's 2nd Khartiia Corps said its troops moved about 15 kilometers through underground gas pipelines to reach the rear of Russian forces near Kupiansk. The operation, code-named Veles, combined the underground advance with above-ground actions and drone strikes. Khartiia claimed more than 30 Russian soldiers were captured and over 100 Russian casualties were inflicted, figures that the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify.
Ukraine’s 2nd Khartiia Corps, part of the National Guard, said its Operation Veles sent troops roughly 15 kilometers through underground gas lines near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. The unit described coordinating that subterranean movement with surface operations and drone attacks.
Khartiia’s commander, Brig. Gen. Ihor Obolienskyi, said Kyiv’s forces had examined how Moscow’s troops used such routes and expected them to try the same. The corps claimed over 30 captures and more than 100 Russian casualties, though these figures remain unverified. Earlier, Ukrainian troops reported halting a Russian pipeline assault in the same sector.
For civilians around Kupiansk, reports of troops moving through pipelines and of civilians forced into them could heighten fear and complicate evacuation or return decisions. Military families and local communities may focus on the claimed captures and casualties, while independent observers may stress that such figures remain unverified. The episode could also shape public discussion of underground warfare and civilian protection, though its broader social effect may depend on further reporting and official confirmation.