29 Russian soldiers killed during infiltration attempt via gas pipeline in Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian brigade says
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Twenty-nine Russian soldiers attempted to infiltrate Ukrainian rear positions via a gas pipeline in Sumy Oblast but were detected and killed, Ukraine’s 71st Separate Airmobile Brigade of the Air Assault Forces reported on Telegram on April 14.
According to the brigade, the group tried to exploit poor weather conditions and limited visibility to breach Ukrainian defenses.
It was not the first such attempt in the area, with Russian forces reportedly using the same route before despite sustaining heavy losses.
"The real goal of the occupiers appears to be ‘self-demilitarization,’" the brigade added.
Russian forces have used large pipelines on several occasions in their war against Ukraine, including during the final stages of the battle of Avdiivka, Sudzha in Kursk Oblast, and more recently, Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.
Built during the Soviet era, the pipelines are used to infiltrate behind Ukrainian positions, and are often surprisingly difficult to destroy even after detection.
This latest attempt comes amid continued pressure along the state border with Sumy Oblast, where Russian forces have been probing Ukrainian defenses, turning much of the border area into a contested grey zone.
On April 13, Ukrainian forces withdrew from positions near Myropilske in Sumy Oblast to a more defensible line.
Russian forces have also advanced in small settlements further north, including Yunakivka and Andriivka, while increasingly deploying FPV drones capable of striking closer to Sumy.
