Ukraine’s Operation Veles Uses an Underground Pipeline to Strike Russian Positions Near Kupiansk

On October 22, Ukraine’s Khartiia Corps reportedly revealed an unusual operation near Kupiansk in which Ukrainian soldiers traveled approximately nine miles through an old gas pipeline beneath the Oskil River before emerging behind Russian positions. The unit reportedly captured more than 30 Russian soldiers, although the operational details and figures have not been independently verified.

The account highlights an unexpected reversal: Russian forces had previously used sections of the same pipeline network to move assault groups through underground routes. Ukrainian commander Ihor Obolenskyi reportedly said his troops studied Russian methods before adapting the tactic for their own operation.

Known as Operation Veles, the mission allegedly combined the underground advance with drone strikes and other attacks on the surface, putting additional pressure on Russian positions near Kupiansk. The use of pipelines reflects how both armies are adapting to a battlefield increasingly dominated by surveillance drones, where movement above ground can expose troops to rapid detection and attack.

The operation also raises questions about the vulnerability of infrastructure once considered a concealed route beyond the reach of aerial surveillance. If the reported details are confirmed, it demonstrates how lessons from Russian tactics were adapted into an unconventional Ukrainian assault.