Ukraine's 'Veles' pipeline operation near Kupiansk 'eliminates' over 100 Russian troops, Zelensky says
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Ukrainian forces "eliminated" more than 100 Russian soldiers and captured more than 30 others during an operation involving underground gas pipelines near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 27.
"The Russians had already tried to use underground gas pipelines to move through our positions and launch assault operations. Ukrainian warriors have successfully transformed this tactic, modernized it, and made it much more sophisticated and technologically advanced," Zelensky said.
The operation, code-named "Veles," involved an underground advance of more than 15 kilometers (9 miles), according to Zelensky.
The operation was carried out by the National Guard's 2nd Khartiia Corps alongside other Ukrainian units.
Zelensky said he had received reports on the operation's initial results and progress from Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi, 2nd Khartiia Corps Commander Ihor Obolienskyi, and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.
The 2nd Khartiia Corps previously reported on Oct. 22 that Ukrainian troops had infiltrated Russian rear positions near Kupiansk through underground gas pipelines as part of Operation Veles.
The operation followed earlier Russian attempts to use the same tactic in the area. On Sept. 12, Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian troops had used a gas pipeline to cross the Oskil River and penetrate Ukrainian defenses near Kupiansk.
