Russia has launched a major assault on the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, reportedly using a gas pipeline to infiltrate enemy lines, according to pro-Russian military bloggers cited by Reuters on Sunday.
However, Ukrainian sources claim that most of the Russian soldiers involved in the infiltration were either killed or suffocated while attempting to move through the confined space.
The attack comes as Ukrainian media reports that Russian forces have successfully breached the front lines in the Sudzha/Kursk region, putting approximately 10,000 Ukrainian troops at risk of encirclement.
Pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podoliaka claimed that Russian special forces maneuvered 15 kilometers inside a gas pipeline to bypass Ukrainian defenses and launch a surprise attack from behind. Another pro-Russian war blogger, known as Two Majors, described intense battles for Sudzha, stating that Russian troops had caught Ukrainian forces off guard.
Images circulating on Russian Telegram channels appear to show Russian special forces wearing gas masks and carrying torches as they navigated a pipeline reportedly 1.4 meters in diameter. However, Ukraine's military insists that the infiltration attempt was detected in time, resulting in heavy Russian losses. According to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff, 80 Russian soldiers perished, which is either due to Ukrainian bombardment or suffocation within the pipeline.
"The enemy suffered huge losses," the statement, posted on Facebook, claimed.
Following Russia’s recent advances in the Kursk region, Ukraine is now considering withdrawing its forces to avoid encirclement. The situation has been further complicated by a decision from the Trump administration to halt U.S. military intelligence sharing with Kyiv, as reported by Time.
Ukraine first launched operations in Kursk in August 2023, seizing approximately 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory. Kyiv framed the offensive as a strategic move to gain leverage in future negotiations and force Russia to divert troops from eastern Ukraine. However, in late February, Russian forces claimed to have "liberated" nearly 800 square kilometers of the region.
As the battle for Sudzha intensifies, the fate of Ukraine’s forces in the Kursk region remains uncertain, with the possibility of a strategic withdrawal looming.
