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Ukrainian troops infiltrate Russian rear through gas pipelines near Kupiansk, Khartiia says
The Kyiv Independent • • general
Key Points:
- Ukrainian troops infiltrated the rear of Russian forces near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast by moving about 15 kilometers through underground gas pipelines during an operation called "Veles."
- The operation was conducted by Ukraine's National Guard’s 2nd Khartiia Corps, which had studied Russian use of underground routes and anticipated their tactics involving gas pipelines.
- Ukrainian forces combined underground movement with above-ground operations, including drone strikes, capturing over 30 Russian soldiers and inflicting more than 100 casualties, according to the corps.
- The tactic aimed to counter Russian underground maneuvers and disrupt their combat operations both underground and on the surface.
- Russian troops have previously used gas pipelines for covert movement, and recently forced civilians, including children and elderly, to act as human shields inside pipelines during their retreat near Kupiansk.
