In a bold and meticulously planned move, Ukrainian forces have turned the tables on Russian troops near the northeastern city of Kupiansk by using underground gas pipelines to infiltrate enemy positions. The operation, codenamed Veles, saw soldiers from the National Guard's 2nd Khartiia Corps and other units advance more than 15 kilometres through narrow, dark passages beneath the battlefield, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Speaking on Tuesday, Zelenskyy revealed that the mission had eliminated over 100 Russian troops and captured more than 30 others. The underground advance was combined with simultaneous attacks on the surface and coordinated drone strikes, creating a multi-pronged assault that caught Russian forces off guard.
A tactic turned against its inventors
The use of gas pipelines for infiltration is not new to this conflict. In September 2025, Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces had used a gas pipeline beneath the Oskil River to slip into Ukrainian positions near Kupiansk, bypassing conventional defensive lines. That move had posed a serious challenge for Kyiv's defenders.
Now, Ukrainian forces have adopted and refined the same approach. "The Russians had already tried to use underground gas pipelines to move through our positions and launch assault operations," Zelenskyy said. "Ukrainian warriors have successfully transformed this tactic, modernized it, and made it much more sophisticated and technologically advanced."
The underground route included a gas pipeline just 1.2 metres in diameter, forcing soldiers to crawl through confined spaces while carrying equipment and weapons. According to a source within the Khartiia Corps cited by Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian troops even fought inside the pipeline itself, advancing several kilometres through the narrow passage while engaging Russian soldiers.
The operation required extensive preparation, including specialised training for combat in tight quarters and the development of custom navigation, communication, and life-support systems. These technological innovations were crucial for maintaining coordination and morale during the perilous underground journey.
Strategic significance for Kupiansk
Kupiansk, a strategically important city in the Kharkiv region, has remained a focal point of Russian offensive operations. By disrupting Russian attempts to use the pipeline network to reach the rear of Ukrainian defences, Operation Veles has strengthened Kyiv's hold on the area and demonstrated that Moscow's objectives remain unfulfilled.
Zelenskyy presented Veles as the third major Ukrainian military operation of the year, following two earlier campaigns that reclaimed significant territory. The first, conducted by Ukraine's Air Assault Forces in the Oleksandrivka sector—spanning parts of the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions—liberated more than 800 square kilometres. The second, codenamed Operation Vivaldi, took place in the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces freed over 200 square kilometres in areas that had seen repeated Russian assaults.
The success of Veles also carries broader implications for the ongoing war. It underscores Ukraine's ability to innovate and adapt, even as it faces challenges such as reliance on Starlink for drone operations. Moreover, it comes at a time when diplomatic efforts are intensifying, with trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US scheduled for November.
The operation has also drawn attention to the resilience of Ukrainian forces, who continue to find creative ways to counter Russian tactics. As the war grinds on, such innovations may prove decisive in shaping the outcome on the ground. For now, the soldiers who crawled through the dark pipelines near Kupiansk have delivered a clear message: Ukraine is not merely defending—it is also striking back.
