Russian special forces walked for kilometers inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from behind in the Kursk region, according to reports from the Ukrainian military and Russian war bloggers, as Moscow attempts to regain control of parts of its border territory that Kyiv captured in a surprise offensive.
Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk in August, the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within a few days, Ukrainian units had taken control of 1,000 square kilometers of territory, including the strategically important border city of Sudzha, and captured hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.
Kyiv stated that the operation aimed to secure an advantage in future peace negotiations and force Russia to withdraw its troops from its harsh offensive in eastern Ukraine.
However, months after that offensive, Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk are exhausted from relentless attacks by more than 50,000 troops, including some from Russia’s ally, North Korea. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers risk being surrounded, according to publicly released battlefield maps.
According to posts on Telegram by a pro-Kremlin blogger of Ukrainian origin, Russian operatives walked about 15 kilometers inside the pipeline, which Moscow had recently used to send gas to Europe.
Some Russian troops had spent several days inside the pipeline before striking Ukrainian units near the city of Sudzha, said the blogger Yuri Podolyaka.
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Sudzha had a population of about 5,000 and hosted major gas transfer and measurement stations along the pipeline, which was once a major route for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory, reports VOA.
Another war blogger, using the pseudonym ‘Two Majors’, said heavy fighting was taking place for Sudzha, and that Russian forces had managed to enter the city through the gas pipeline.
Russian Telegram channels showed photos of individuals, allegedly special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along a large pipeline.
The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed on Saturday evening that “sabotage and assault groups” of Russian forces used the pipeline in an attempt to gain ground near Sudzha.
In a Telegram post, it stated that the Russian troops were “discovered in time,” and Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery. “Currently, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. Enemy losses in Sudzha are very heavy,” announced the General Staff.
