Ukraine builds nearly 6 km underground tunnel in Donetsk region
Ukrainian forces have built and are using a nearly six-kilometre underground tunnel between two settlements in Donetsk Oblast. The tunnel provides concealed transport for personnel, vehicles, motorcycles and quad bikes, while also serving military supply, ammunition delivery and medical evacuation missions.
Key points
- The tunnel links two settlements in Donetsk Oblast and is nearly 6 kilometres long.
- It enables uninterrupted, concealed movement of personnel, motorbikes and quad bikes.
- The route is used to deliver supplies and ammunition and to conduct medical evacuations.
- Special units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine patrol and repair underground tunnels.
- The tunnel's mesh reportedly withstands the first drone strike, while a second drone could pass through the breach if repairs are not made.
- State manufacturers and military personnel are developing fibre-optic counter-drone structures.
- Ukrainian forces reportedly advanced more than 15 km behind Russian lines through underground communications on the Kupiansk direction.
Why it matters
The tunnel lets Ukrainian forces move personnel and vehicles with less exposure to threats above ground while supporting logistics, ammunition deliveries and medical evacuations. Its effectiveness depends on specialist units maintaining and repairing it quickly, as damage from drones or other attacks can quickly reduce its operational value. Reported use of underground communications on the Kupiansk direction also indicates that such infrastructure can extend military operations behind opposing lines.
What happened
Ukrainian forces built a nearly six-kilometre underground tunnel between two settlements in Donetsk Oblast. It provides uninterrupted and concealed movement for personnel, motorcycles and quad bikes, and is used to deliver food, ammunition and other supplies as well as to evacuate the wounded. The route allows different military units to carry out combat missions. According to Dmytro Pishch, the tunnel's mesh is designed to withstand a first drone strike, but a second drone could pass through the resulting breach unless the damaged section is repaired. Specialist units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are responsible for constructing and maintaining underground tunnels, patrolling them daily and repairing damaged sections.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the tunnel's operational value: covert movement, resupply, ammunition delivery, medical evacuation and support for combat missions. It also highlights the continuous need for specialist units to patrol and repair underground infrastructure, while reported advances of more than 15 km behind opposing lines on the Kupiansk direction portray such networks as a means of extending military operations into the enemy’s rear.
Background
In 2023, the 81st Separate Air Mobile Slobozhanska Brigade used a PTS-2 amphibious transporter for medical evacuations toward Lyman. A destroyed road bridge made detours time-consuming, but the transporter saved 30–40 minutes per trip and completed 86 trips during the winter. State manufacturers and military personnel are also developing structures for countering fibre-optic-controlled drones, designed to sever, break or interrupt their control cables.