Khartiia Says Troops Walked 15 km Underground in Kupiansk Operation
During Operation Veles on the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces under the command of the Khartiia corps travelled more than 15 km underground into the Russian rear and captured over 30 Russian troops, the 2nd Corps “Khartiia” of the National Guard reported.
According to the corps, Ukrainian troops moved through underground utility passages while other units advanced on the surface at the same time. They were supported by drones, including those of the Achilles brigade. Khartiia said the operation prevented Russian forces from getting behind Kupiansk. Total enemy losses, according to the corps, exceeded 100 people.
“The Russians believed that underground communications were their exclusive tool for bypassing our defences. We studied their experience, outplayed them on their own field and turned this threat into our counteroffensive advantage,” said corps commander Ihor Obolenskyi.
How the operation worked
Before the operation, the troops underwent physical and psychological training for operating in a confined space. Sappers, engineers and a support battalion equipped the underground route. Underground, the troops could not use GPS or stable radio communications, so the corps used its own technological solutions for navigation, communications and life support. A joint coordination centre with the Achilles brigade helped synchronise the underground advance, surface operations and drone strikes. “Simultaneously with the underground advance, the corps’ units advanced on the surface — so the enemy found itself under attack from two dimensions at once,” the corps said.
The operation was led by the headquarters of the 2nd Corps “Khartiia”. Units that took part included the 13th Brigade of the National Guard “Khartiia”; Defence Intelligence units, including the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps; the 23rd Assault Regiment “R.U.G.”; the 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment “Lava”; the 429th Unmanned Systems Brigade “Achilles”; and other Defence Forces units. The corps calls Veles the world’s first full-scale underground counteroffensive operation.
About Khartiia
Khartiia emerged in 2022 as a volunteer territorial defence unit. In 2023 it became the 13th Operational Purpose Brigade of the National Guard. On April 15, 2025, the National Guard created the 2nd Corps “Khartiia” on the basis of the brigade, headed by Ihor Obolenskyi.