Russian special forces infiltrated a gas pipeline to ambush Ukrainian troops from behind in the Kursk region, according to reports from Ukraine's military and Russian war bloggers. The maneuver comes as Moscow intensifies efforts to retake territory in the border province, which Kyiv seized in a surprise offensive last year.
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Saturday that Russian "sabotage and assault groups" attempted to gain a foothold near the town of Sudzha by moving through the pipeline, which was previously used to transport Russian natural gas to Europe. The Ukrainian military stated that the intruders were detected and targeted with artillery and rocket fire. "At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemy's losses in Sudzha are very high," Ukraine's General Staff reported on Telegram.
The claim was echoed by pro-Kremlin war bloggers, who provided details on the Russian operation. Blogger Yuri Podolyaka stated that Russian operatives traveled approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) inside the pipeline before launching their attack. Another blogger, writing under the alias Two Majors, said that Russian forces managed to enter Sudzha through the pipeline, triggering fierce clashes. Photos circulated on Russian Telegram channels allegedly showed operatives wearing gas masks moving through the pipeline's interior.
Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Kursk in August, marking the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian forces captured 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory, including Sudzha, a strategic border town with a population of about 5,000 before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The Ukrainian advance also resulted in the capture of hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.
Footage of Russian troops reportedly inside the pipeline.
The photo was posted by the 60th "Veterans" Sabotage-Assault Brigade, the same unit that has previously conducted similar pipeline operations, most famously at Avdiivka. Some elements of the brigade are currently in… pic.twitter.com/d4awzzoAQb — John Hardie (@JohnH105) March 10, 2025
Kyiv framed the operation as a means to gain leverage in potential peace negotiations and force Russia to divert forces from its offensive in eastern Ukraine. However, Ukrainian troops now find themselves under relentless assault, with over 50,000 Russian soldiers, including North Korean reinforcements, attempting to encircle Ukrainian positions, according to open-source battlefield maps.
A third Russian war blogger, writing under the call sign Thirteenth, cast doubt on the success of the pipeline-based attack, arguing that the infiltrating force lacked necessary logistical support. "Food, water, ammunition, communications, charging electrical devices, power banks, the approach of the main forces, evacuating the wounded ... Two or three groups in the rear without all this - that's a disaster," he wrote on Telegram.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had captured four villages near Sudzha, with the closest located roughly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the town center. The ministry had previously reported the capture of three other villages in the area. Ukraine has not responded to these claims.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine "may not survive" amid ongoing U.S. debates over military aid. Speaking on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Trump was asked about Polish President Andrzej Duda's warning that Ukraine's survival depends on American support. "Well, it may not survive anyway," Trump replied, adding, "But we have some weaknesses with Russia. You know, it takes two."
In contrast, France announced additional military assistance to Kyiv. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that Paris will allocate 195 million euros ($211 million) in arms for Ukraine, funded through profits from frozen Russian assets. The package will include 155mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets, Lecornu told La Tribune Dimanche.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted Russian oil infrastructure overnight into Sunday. According to regional officials, a drone struck an oil depot in Cheboksary, a city on the Volga River located approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Governor Oleg Nikolaev confirmed the attack, stating that while no injuries were reported, the facility requires repairs.
In Ryazan, one of Russia's major oil refining hubs, local residents reported hearing explosions near an oil refinery. Telegram news channel Shot circulated footage of a fire at or near the facility. However, Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov claimed that Ukrainian drones were shot down and denied any casualties or damage. Ukraine has not commented on the strikes.
Amid rising concerns over the reliability of satellite communications in Ukraine, a heated exchange took place on X between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Sikorski suggested that if SpaceX's Starlink service proves unreliable, Poland may seek alternative providers. Musk fired back, telling Sikorski: "Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink." Rubio defended Musk's role in Ukraine's war effort, stating, "Without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."
