# Ukraine and Russia are taking the war underground as drones saturate the battlefield

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ukraine-and-russia-are-taking-the-war-underground-as-drones-saturate-the-battlefield/
- Published: 2026-11-03T16:52:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T20:06:41+00:00
- Original publisher: France 24
- Original article: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261103-ukraine-and-russia-are-taking-the-war-underground-as-drones-saturate-the-battlefield
- Topics: Europe, Government, Politics, Russia-Ukraine War, World

## Key points

- Ukraine used a disused gas pipeline to advance near Kupiansk.
- Kyiv says about 100 Russian soldiers were killed.
- Underground routes offer a way to bypass battlefield defences.

## Summary

Ukraine launched Operation Veles in October, sending specially trained soldiers through a disused gas pipeline near Kupiansk to confront Russian forces. The operation marks Kyiv’s adoption of underground tactics that Russia has used for years, as drones and other threats make movement above ground more dangerous.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the troops advanced 15 kilometres through a pipeline about 1.2 metres wide, secured its entrance, killed around 100 Russian soldiers and captured more than 30. Experts say both sides have used tunnels and conduits to bypass defences, including at Avdiivka and during fighting around Kursk. Such operations depend on Soviet-era pipelines and remain limited to the underground networks that exist.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.