Inside Ukraine's extraordinary underground pipeline operation against Russian forces near Kupiansk

Operation Veles was a Ukrainian military mission near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Soldiers used underground gas-pipeline infrastructure to approach Russian positions without crossing exposed ground. The operation mattered because it turned a method previously used by Russian forces into a Ukrainian advantage.

The National Guard’s 2nd Khartiia Corps worked with other Ukrainian units. Troops advanced through pipelines while forces attacked above ground and drones struck in coordination. The route extended more than 15 kilometres, including a pipeline only 1.2 metres wide. Soldiers needed special training and technology for navigation, communications and life support.

The mission disrupted Russian attempts to infiltrate Ukrainian positions around Kupiansk. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation eliminated more than 100 Russian troops and captured over 30. Ukrainian officials presented Veles as strengthening defensive positions and limiting Russia’s ability to use the pipeline network to reach Ukraine’s rear.

The underground advance covered more than 15 kilometres through gas-pipeline infrastructure beneath the battlefield near Kupiansk. That distance shows the operation was not a short tunnel raid, but a sustained movement through a hidden route toward Russian positions.

The reported human cost for Russian forces was also significant. Following a briefing from senior military officials, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 100 Russian troops had been eliminated and over 30 had been captured. The article uses “eliminated,” rather than specifically saying all those troops were killed.

These figures describe the operation’s initial results, not a final assessment. Ukrainian forces also used attacks above ground and coordinated drone strikes. Together, those actions disrupted Russian infiltration attempts and helped strengthen Ukraine’s positions around Kupiansk. The operation’s scale made the pipeline route an important part of the wider fight in the sector.

A 1.2-metre-wide pipeline leaves very little room for soldiers, equipment or movement. Ukrainian troops had to navigate a narrow passage beneath the battlefield while advancing toward enemy positions. The confined space made the route physically demanding and left little freedom to manoeuvre.

The danger increased because Russian and Ukrainian troops fought inside the pipeline itself. According to a source cited by Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian soldiers advanced several kilometres through the passage while confronting Russian soldiers. Darkness, limited space and underground isolation also made ordinary navigation and communication difficult, which is why the operation required specially developed technology.

The troops trained specifically for combat in confined spaces. They also needed systems for navigation, communications and life support. The pipeline therefore offered concealment from surface defenses, but it created serious risks of exhaustion, close-range fighting and disrupted coordination. Its narrow dimensions made every stage of the advance difficult.

The article identifies Kupiansk as a strategically important city in northeastern Ukraine. It has remained a focus of Russian offensive operations, making the surrounding area a continuing point of military pressure. The city’s importance is therefore tied to the broader contest over positions in the Kupiansk sector.

Operation Veles mattered because it strengthened Ukrainian positions near the city. Ukrainian forces used an underground route, attacks on the surface and drone strikes to disrupt Russian attempts to infiltrate defensive lines. This protected the rear of Ukraine’s positions from a route that could bypass conventional defenses.

The article does not provide a detailed explanation of Kupiansk’s geography, transport links or wider military value. It does establish that Russia has repeatedly focused offensive operations there and that Ukraine is working to hold and reinforce the area. Veles was presented as evidence that Ukrainian forces were achieving objectives in this strategically important sector.

Russian forces had already used underground pipelines near Kupiansk as an infiltration route. In September 2025, DeepState reported that Russian troops moved through a gas pipeline beneath the Oskil River to bypass conventional Ukrainian defensive lines and reach Ukrainian-held territory.

That route allowed Russian forces to avoid exposed ground above. Ukraine then adopted the same broad idea in Operation Veles, sending troops through underground gas pipelines toward Russian positions. Ukrainian forces upgraded the method with training for confined-space combat and specially developed systems for navigation, communications and life support.

Ukraine also combined the underground advance with surface attacks and coordinated drone strikes. This was more than simple imitation: the operation aimed to disrupt Russian infiltration attempts and prevent further use of the pipeline network against Ukrainian positions. Zelenskyy described the Ukrainian version as modernized, more sophisticated and technologically advanced.

The immediate consequence was a disruption of Russian attempts to infiltrate Ukrainian positions around Kupiansk. Ukrainian forces targeted the pipeline route itself while also attacking above ground and using coordinated drones. This combination aimed to stop Russian troops from exploiting underground infrastructure to reach the rear of Ukraine’s defensive positions.

The operation also inflicted reported losses. Zelenskyy said more than 100 Russian troops were eliminated and over 30 captured. Ukrainian forces therefore did more than block a route; they used it as part of an attack against Russian positions. The 2nd Khartiia Corps said the mission had disrupted Russian infiltration efforts.

The article presents Veles as strengthening Ukraine’s positions near Kupiansk. It does not state that all future pipeline infiltrations have been stopped. However, the operation shows that Ukraine is now actively contesting the tactic Russia previously used, potentially making that route more difficult and dangerous for Russian forces.

Underground infrastructure can change military movement because it provides a hidden path beneath the battlefield. Troops using a pipeline may avoid exposed ground and bypass conventional defensive lines. That can allow them to approach positions or reach an opponent’s rear without following the usual surface routes.

The Kupiansk operation shows both sides of this mechanism. Russian forces used a pipeline beneath the Oskil River to reach Ukrainian-held territory. Ukraine later advanced more than 15 kilometres through pipelines toward Russian positions. Its forces paired that movement with surface attacks and drones, turning the hidden corridor into part of a larger assault.

These routes also create major limits. A 1.2-metre pipeline restricts movement and requires special training, communications, navigation and life support. Once detected or contested, it can become a confined fighting space. Underground infrastructure therefore offers concealment and access, but also concentrates troops in vulnerable, difficult conditions.