Moscow/Kyiv: Russian special forces infiltrated a gas pipeline to launch a surprise attack on Ukrainian troops from the rear in the Kursk region, according to reports from both Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers. The maneuver comes as Moscow seeks to reclaim border areas lost to Ukraine’s unprecedented cross-border offensive.
Ukraine launched its large-scale incursion into Kursk in August, marking the most significant attack on Russian soil since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian forces had seized 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory, including the key border town of Sudzha, while capturing hundreds of Russian soldiers.
A Strategic Gamble Turns into a Grueling Battle
Kyiv justified the operation as a move to strengthen its position in future peace negotiations and to force Russia to divert troops from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine.
However, months later, Ukrainian troops in Kursk find themselves under relentless assault. More than 50,000 Russian soldiers, including forces reportedly supplied by Moscow’s ally North Korea, have launched repeated attacks. Open-source battlefield maps indicate that tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops are at risk of being encircled.
Russia’s Tactical Use of the Gas Pipeline
According to Telegram posts by a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian-born blogger, Russian operatives traversed approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) inside a gas pipeline that had previously transported Russian gas to Europe.
Blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed that some Russian troops had remained inside the pipeline for several days before emerging to strike Ukrainian positions from the rear near Sudzha.
Sudzha, which had a pre-war population of 5,000, hosts major gas transfer and measuring stations along the pipeline, which once served as a crucial conduit for Russian natural gas exports via Ukraine. Another war blogger, known as Two Majors, reported that intense battles were taking place in Sudzha, with Russian forces using the pipeline to infiltrate the town.
Russian Telegram channels circulated images purporting to show special forces operatives wearing gas masks while moving through the interior of a large pipeline.
Ukraine’s Response and Heavy Russian Losses
On Saturday evening, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Russian “sabotage and assault groups” had utilized the pipeline in an attempt to secure a foothold outside Sudzha.
“At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. The enemy’s losses in Sudzha are very high,” the General Staff stated in a Telegram post. The statement also noted that Ukrainian forces had responded with rocket and artillery strikes after detecting the Russian troops.
The Associated Press could not independently verify these reports, and Russian officials have yet to comment.
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France Announces Additional Military Aid for Ukraine
As the fighting intensifies, France has pledged additional military assistance to Ukraine. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Sunday that Paris will use profits from frozen Russian assets to fund a new €195 million ($211 million) arms package for Kyiv.
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Lecornu revealed that the new package includes 155-mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets that France had previously provided to Ukraine. The move is part of an ongoing effort by Western allies to bolster Ukraine’s defenses amid the protracted conflict.
