By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Ukrainian soldiers trekked through nine miles of muddy underground gas pipelines near Kupiansk to outflank Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Wednesday. The operation, named Veles, resulted in the elimination of 100 Russian troops and the capture of more than 30 prisoners.
Underground tactic turned against occupiers
Zelensky described the mission as a strong, well-planned, technology-driven operation. He said Russian forces had previously attempted to use the same underground gas pipelines to advance past Ukrainian positions, but Ukrainian fighters turned the tactic against the occupiers with extraordinary success.
Third major operation this year
The president called Operation Veles the third landmark operation of 2026. Earlier, airborne assault forces liberated more than 800 square kilometres in the Oleksandrivka area spanning Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. A second operation, Vivaldi, freed over 200 square kilometres in Donetsk where Russian troops had launched repeated assaults.
Russian claims and peace efforts
Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed this month that Moscow's forces had captured 92 Ukrainian settlements, including Dobropillia, since September, a claim dismissed by Ukraine's military. Meanwhile, Zelensky said he hoped a trilateral meeting between Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. peace negotiators would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10, urging European involvement and stronger pressure on Russia.
