Russian assault units discovered an extensive network of underground shelters and passages while clearing Novoye Pole in the Zaporozhye Region, which recently came under Russian control. Troops from the 36th Brigade of Russia’s Vostok group said they avoid entering such tunnels and instead destroy them with explosives.

Russian servicemen said assault teams work in pairs when checking buildings. While one soldier searches a room, the second monitors possible exits.

Entrances to underground passages, described by the troops as «mole tunnels» and «foxholes," are often found beneath flooring and other concealed areas. Entering them is considered particularly dangerous because the passages may be mined.

For that reason, Russian units destroy discovered underground shelters and tunnels rather than clearing them manually. A Russian assault soldier with the call sign Veter told Zvezda TV that troops first determine the direction of a passage, which may run beneath a house or continue under a street. Even when the entrance itself is not mined, explosives may be placed deeper inside, where visibility is poor.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on August 11 that Novoye Pole had come under Russian control. According to the ministry, units of the Vostok group crossed the border between the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions and expanded the area under their control north of Kommunarovka.

Russian forces are also continuing to take positions on higher ground near the boundary between the two regions. The Defense Ministry said these positions create conditions for further advances in the Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye directions.