Kyiv, Ukraine – Russian special forces infiltrated a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow intensifies efforts to reclaim territory lost to Kyiv’s surprise cross-border offensive.
Ukraine launched a daring incursion into Kursk in August, marking the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian forces seized 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and captured hundreds of Russian prisoners of war. Kyiv described the operation as an attempt to gain leverage in potential peace talks and to force Russia to redeploy troops from the eastern front.
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However, months after the initial success, Ukrainian troops in Kursk are now under severe pressure, facing relentless Russian assaults by over 50,000 troops, including reinforcements from North Korea. Open-source battlefield maps indicate that tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers risk being encircled.
According to pro-Kremlin blogger Yuri Podolyaka, Russian operatives traveled approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) inside a gas pipeline that was previously used to export Russian natural gas to Europe. Some of these troops reportedly remained inside the pipeline for several days before launching a surprise attack on Ukrainian positions near Sudzha.
Another war blogger, known as Two Majors, reported fierce fighting in Sudzha and confirmed that Russian forces had entered the town using the pipeline. Russian Telegram channels shared images of special forces operatives wearing gas masks and navigating what appeared to be the interior of a large pipe.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian “sabotage and assault groups” had attempted to use the pipeline to establish a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it stated that Russian forces were “detected in a timely manner,” and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery.
“At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. The enemy’s losses in Sudzha are very high,” Ukraine’s military said.
The Associated Press has not independently verified these claims, and Russian officials have yet to comment.
Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced Sunday that France will allocate 195 million euros ($211 million) in additional military aid to Ukraine, funded by profits from frozen Russian assets. In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Lecornu confirmed that the new package will include 155-mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets previously supplied to Kyiv.
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