15 kilometers underground, behind Russian lines: Khartiia reveals details of Operation Veles — the world’s first underground counteroffensive. When Russian drones made movement above ground increasingly dangerous, Ukrainian forces found another way to attack. On October 22, Ukraine’s 2nd National Guard Corps, Khartiia, revealed new details of Operation Veles, a counteroffensive conducted through underground infrastructure on the Kupiansk axis in northeastern Ukraine. According to the corps, Ukrainian troops advanced more than 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) through underground passages, reaching positions behind Russian lines. But the underground movement was only one part of the operation. Ukrainian forces coordinated their advance below ground with combat operations on the surface and drone strikes from above. Russian troops were confronted with simultaneous attacks from two directions: underground and above ground. The operation prevented Russian forces from exploiting the underground network to reach the rear of Ukrainian defenders near Kupiansk, according to Khartiia. The corps said the operation helped break a positional stalemate in the area. It reported more than 100 Russian personnel killed and over 30 captured. These figures have not been independently verified. The operation is particularly significant because Ukrainian forces turned a Russian battlefield tactic against its original users. Russian troops have previously used underground infrastructure to bypass Ukrainian defensive positions and move personnel without exposing them to aerial reconnaissance. Khartiia studied that approach and adapted it for offensive operations. “Russians believed underground passages were their exclusive tool for bypassing our defenses. We studied their experience, outplayed them on their own ground and turned that threat into our counteroffensive advantage,” said Brig. Gen. Ihor Obolienskyi, commander of the Khartiia Corps. Operation Veles illustrates another stage in the evolution of modern warfare. The widespread use of reconnaissance and strike drones has made large areas of the battlefield increasingly observable. Troop movements, vehicle concentrations and logistical activity can be detected and targeted within minutes. Underground infrastructure offers a way to reduce exposure to aerial surveillance, but it also introduces new challenges in navigation, communications and coordination with forces operating above ground. What makes Veles notable is the reported integration of underground maneuver with conventional ground operations and unmanned systems. Rather than treating tunnels solely as defensive shelter or concealed transport routes, Ukrainian forces used them as an avenue for offensive maneuver. Khartiia describes Veles as the world’s first underground counteroffensive operation. The broader military lesson is that battlefield adaptation works in both directions. Russia developed methods to exploit underground routes against Ukrainian defenses. Ukrainian forces studied those methods, identified their potential and used them to conduct their own counteroffensive. In a war increasingly dominated by drones, the contest for battlefield advantage now extends beneath the surface. 🎥👇 Source: 2nd National Guard Corps “Khartiia,” October 22, 2026. #Ukraine #OperationVeles #Khartiia #MilitaryInnovation #DroneWarfare