National Guard's "Khartiia" Describes How It Trained Troops for Underground Operation Near Kupiansk
A senior sergeant of Ukraine's National Guard 2nd Corps "Khartiia" explains in an opinion column how soldiers were prepared for the counteroffensive operation "Veles" in gas pipes in the Kupiansk area of Kharkiv region. He argues that discipline and leadership, not courage alone, made it possible.
The 2nd Corps "Khartiia" of Ukraine's National Guard has described how it prepared for the counteroffensive operation "Veles", fought in underground communications in the Kupiansk area of Kharkiv region. The account was written as a column by the corps' chief sergeant, Dmytro "Volyniaka" Hrytsiuk. It reflects only the author's view, and Ukrainska Pravda says it is not responsible for the accuracy of the content.
What the enemy did
According to the author, Russian forces had long tried to use underground infrastructure near the front. They moved unnoticed through industrial pipes to slip past the defensive line into the rear of the Ukrainian grouping around Kupiansk, much as they did during assaults on Avdiivka. Ukrainian forces did not merely stop these infiltrations by welding the pipes shut: Khartiia studied the enemy's tactics, prepared its personnel for fighting in entirely new conditions and took the initiative.
Conditions underground
The corps' assault units covered more than 15 kilometres through underground communications and drove the occupiers out of the pipes. The soldiers moved without GPS, sunlight or conventional radio communication, often an arm's length from one another. The pipes are one metre or 1.2 metres in diameter, so troops crawl or squat for hours in full combat gear. The author lists darkness, sticky mud, rust, stuffy air and flooded sections where water sometimes reaches the chin.
Preparation
After studying the enemy's actions, Khartiia built full-scale mock-ups of pipes and underground communications at its training camps. Soldiers practised overcoming fear of confined spaces and physical exhaustion, breaking through connecting passages between main lines, laying ventilation sleeves and organising communications. Equipment was also adapted for underground warfare, including ground-based robotic systems.
Discipline as the foundation
The author says a soldier who panics in a narrow passage can block an entire assault group. He distinguishes discipline from cruelty, which he says breeds fear and mistrust. Sergeants demand flawless weapons maintenance and checks of every metre of communications cord, but such demands work only if they are fair, and a sergeant must be first to enter the pipe. On this kind of discipline, the author says, the new Ukrainian army is being built.
