Russians break into Kupiansk via gas pipeline, watchdog says
Russian troops have infiltrated the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, by entering a gas pipeline from an occupied Ukrainian village, the crowd-sourced monitoring website Deep State reported on Sept. 12.
The Russians entered the pipeline from Lyman Pershyi, an occupied village eight kilometers from the frontline town of Kupiansk, to bypass the Oskil river, which separates the two settlements, according to Deep State.
They managed to reach the nearby village of Radkivka, on Kupiansk’s outskirts, "without serious losses" before moving south to a forest and dispersing into Kupiansk, according to Deep State.
Russian forces have already set up positions for drone pilots in the town, the watchdog reported.
Russian soldiers used specially designed wheeled benches and electric scooters to maneuver in the pipe, according to Deep State. Special rest and supply stops are set up along the way as it can take four days to reach Kupiansk’s outskirts.
Russian troops remain in Kupiansk as of Sept. 13, Deep State told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian troops have taken control of the pipeline's exit, which does not lead directly into Kupiansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces wrote on Facebook on Sept. 13.
"The situation in the city of Kupiansk and its outskirts is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the General Staff said.
Russian troops continue to amass on the northern outskirts of Kupiansk, according to the General Staff. Ukrainian forces have been executing a counter-sabotage operation inside the town with a "search-and-strike" operation outside the town over the last two weeks.
During the operation, Ukrainian troops have eliminated 395 Russians, of which 288 are dead.
Kupiansk lies 104 kilometers (65 miles) east of Kharkiv, the regional capital. Fighting is fierce around the town, which was occupied at the start of the full-scale invasion before being liberated in September 2022.
The town comes under relentless Russian attacks including guided bombs, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, and FPV drones. Kupiansk is largely without electricity, gas, and running water, although around 1,800 civilians still live there, as of last month.
It is the third time Russian forces have used pipelines as a tactic, which they first adopted during the Battle of Avdiivka.
Back in March, around 100 troops passed through a gas pipeline to reach Ukrainian positions in Sudzha, in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
