Ukrainian soldiers hiding in gas pipelines to escape Russian drones: Forced to live in underground tunnels for months; Russia-Ukraine war continues into its fifth year

The Russia-Ukraine war is now in its fifth year. In such a situation, Russia's continuous drone attacks have made it difficult for Ukrainian soldiers to walk openly on the ground. They hide inside old gas pipelines. Soldiers have to stay in these tunnels, which are about 4 feet wide, for several weeks to two months. This pipeline, which once transported gas from Russia to Europe, has now become a route to deliver food, weapons and other essential items to Ukrainian soldiers. Russia used old pipelines in the past. There is a network of about 129 kilometers of old gas pipelines in the Kupiansk region of Ukraine. At the end of last year, Russian troops managed to enter Kupiansk through the same pipelines. After that, the Ukrainian army also planned a counter-attack from underground. Then the intelligence unit of the National Guard of Ukraine obtained maps of these pipelines. At the same time, a plan was prepared to use the underground routes with the help of old gas experts who built these pipelines. Then a ventilation system was installed to deliver air to the pipelines. This was the most difficult part of the whole operation. Food and ammunition are delivered during the day. Food and ammunition are delivered to the soldiers through these pipelines. Small electric vehicles are used for this. During the day, the necessary supplies are sent inside by these vehicles, while at night the soil sacks from the excavation are brought out. Soldiers can only go out for a short period of time at night. Due to the narrow road, soldiers have to walk on their knees. Inside these pipelines, soldiers have to live in very difficult situations. The roads are so narrow that they have to move on their knees. There is neither sunlight nor fresh air. Soldiers use plastic bags and bottles for toilets. Gas residues, dust and lack of air in the pipelines also pose a threat to them. Injured soldiers are also evacuated through the same routes. The bodies of the soldiers killed on the front are also brought out through these pipelines. Thermal imaging increases the chances of getting caught Drones and thermal imaging technology have made the movement of soldiers in the open field extremely dangerous. With the help of thermal imaging, drones can detect the body heat of the people on the ground. In such a situation, it has not been easy for the soldiers to move forward in hiding. For this reason, Ukraine is exploring the possibility of creating a network of underground tunnels to connect its army bases, observation posts, and storage centers.