Russian and Ukrainian troops are conducting combat operations not only on land and in the air, but also inside underground gas pipelines. In an effort to evade drone strikes and infiltrate enemy lines, both sides have begun using an extensive network of decommissioned gas transit pipelines that runs beneath the entire combat zone.
According to Ihor Obolenskyi, commander of Ukraine's National Guard, the strike zone expands and becomes more dangerous by the day, making movement underground a critical tactical advantage. Russian troops utilized the pipelines as early as March 2025 during the battles for the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region, when anywhere from a hundred to several hundred soldiers traveled several kilometers to emerge behind Ukrainian lines; similar tactics were later employed in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions as well.
According to published data, the pipeline network includes at least 57 steel pipes, most measuring one to two meters in diameter, which were used for decades to transport gas from Siberia until transit was halted. Underground combat creates extremely harsh conditions for military personnel: the tunnels contain chemical residues and strong odors, explosions make breathing difficult, and gunfire and grenade blasts inside the metal pipes pose additional hazards, forcing soldiers to rely on gas masks and oxygen tanks.
In October, the "Khartiia" Corps regained control over roughly 14 kilometers of pipelines in the northeastern sector—an operation described as the first successful counteroffensive carried out under such conditions, though numerous operations are still required to gain full control over the network.
The transformation of underground pipelines into battlegrounds illustrates the unpredictable and humanly brutal nature of modern warfare. As drone reconnaissance renders movement above ground nearly impossible, armies are forced to seek novel yet perilous alternatives.
These developments clearly highlight the technical transformation of the conflict. It remains unclear how both sides will manage tunnel security and resupply challenges moving forward.
