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Nearly 100 Russian troops infiltrate critical Ukrainian defense line through pipeline as Kursk encirclement tightens

Russian forces have infiltrated Ukrainian positions near Sudzha using a gas pipeline to move 100 troops undetected, exacerbating Ukraine’s precarious situation as their forces face potential encirclement in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

byOlena Mukhina

08/03/2025

2 minute read

A Ukrainian soldier. Source: Ukraine’s Luhansk operational-tactical group

Nearly 100 Russian troops infiltrate critical Ukrainian defense line through pipeline as Kursk encirclement tightens

On 8 March, around 100 Russian soldiers used a gas pipeline to advance toward the positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces near Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, says Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov.

The battle for control over the Kursk front has reached a critical juncture as Russian forces intensify their offensive operations, significantly limiting Ukraine’s strategic options, military analysts report. Russian troops have advanced further into the region, making key territorial gains while leveraging overwhelming drone warfare to disrupt Ukrainian logistics and supply chains.

He said the situation in the security zone in Kursk Oblast continues to escalate, requiring immediate decisions from the command.

“Today, enemy infantry was detected infiltrating the area near the city of Sudzha—Russian forces used a gas pipeline to covertly move an assault company, avoiding drone surveillance, and breached Ukrainian defensive positions. The pipeline is now under heightened monitoring, the enemy’s staging area has been identified, and efforts to eliminate the intruders are underway,” explained Butusov.

In 2024, Ukrainian forces began an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, with the operation still ongoing. They captured around 1,250 square kilometers of territory, ruining myths of Russian borders’ invincibility.

In response, Russia launched a “counter-terrorist operation,” deploying additional troops and air support to repel the incursion. Russia also resorted to using North Korean troops for assistance, with North Korea sending approximately 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to Kursk Oblast in November 2024.

“The enemy used the gas pipeline and emerged near location N, with approximately 100 troops. It came as no surprise, as the operation was known in advance,” a source confirmed in a conversation with Ukrainska Pravda.

Russian forces had been preparing for this operation for several days, clearing the area with guided bombs before advancing.

The source added that destroying the pipeline was not an option due to logistical constraints. The operation may have involved underground pipes of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod gas pipeline, which Russia used to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine until 1 January 2025. Each pipeline section has a diameter of 1.4 meters.

Earlier, military analysts said thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast are nearly encircled by Russian forces.

The situation in Kursk Oblast has sharply deteriorated over the past three days, as maps show, after Russian forces regained territory as part of a planned counteroffensive that has nearly split Ukrainian troops in two, cutting off the main group from key supply lines.

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