Russia is preparing separate special forces for underground warfare while the Ukrainian military pushes its forces away from gas pipelines near Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Ukrainian servicemen from the “Khartiia” brigade told the publication that the Russians are using underground gas pipelines to bypass areas of the front that are constantly monitored by drones and artillery, to stealthily enter the rear of Ukrainian positions, and to set up sites for launching drones.
Inside the pipes, they create sandbag fortifications, machine gun positions, and a kind of living quarters where soldiers can stay for months.
It is difficult to destroy such routes from the surface, Ukrainian fighters say. The gas pipelines are protected by a thick layer of steel and soil, and after striking the exits, the Russian military can simply make new ones.
As a result, battles are increasingly moving underground, with soldiers operating in very tight spaces, sometimes just a few meters apart. Ground-based drones with explosives and remotely controlled machine guns are also being used for attacks.
Russian forces have already used gas pipelines during the fighting in the Kursk region and attempted to use such tactics near Chasiv Yar. Old Soviet pipeline networks also extend to other countries in the region, including Poland and the Baltic states. So military leaders in those countries are watching the Russians’ actions.
However, it is not only the Russian military that is setting up positions underground. Ukrainian defenders are creating command posts, field hospitals, and other facilities there, trying to protect personnel from drone and artillery attacks.
- The day before, soldiers of the “Khartiia” National Guard Corps spoke about Operation “Veles” in the Kupyansk direction, during which the fighters went more than 15 km underground and entered the rear of Russian forces.
- As a result of the operation, more than 30 Russian fighters were captured, and more than 100 were killed or wounded.
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