DeepState, a Ukrainian defense intelligence analysis group, released a video on 15/9 showing Russian soldiers emerging from a gas pipeline near Kupyansk in Kharkov. This marks the third time Russian forces have reportedly used this infiltration tactic to bypass Ukrainian defenses.
Russia reportedly employed this tactic successfully in Donetsk during the capture of Avdeevka in January and February 2024, and in Kursk to recapture Sudzha earlier this year.
DeepState believes the pipeline entry point is near Lyman Pershyi village, with the exit near Radkivka village. Russian soldiers reportedly used small carts to move through the pipeline, even employing electric carts in wider sections. The journey from entry to Kupyansk’s outskirts reportedly took about 4 days, with designated rest areas and supply caches along the route.
According to the analysis group, “Russian units reached Radkivka village without losses and then advanced to a nearby forest, utilizing the city's railway network.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials deny Russian forces have infiltrated Kupyansk. Andriy Kanashkevych, head of the local military administration, stated, “DeepState commented hastily. There are no Russian troops in the city. All of Kupyansk remains under Ukrainian control.”
The Ukrainian General Staff claims all pipeline exits near Kupyansk are blocked, emphasizing that the pipelines don't lead directly into the city. They stated, “There are 4 gas pipelines in the area. Three are destroyed or flooded, and the exit of the remaining one is under our control.”
However, Kanashkevych acknowledged Kupyansk's dire situation: “Electricity, water, and gas are cut off. 90% of buildings are destroyed or heavily damaged, with repairs impossible due to constant shelling.”
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Battlefield situation in Kupyansk as of 14/9. Graphic: ISW |
Oleksiy Belsky, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military’s Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group, stated on 15/9 that Russia’s “strategic objective” in Kharkov is to recapture Kupyansk. Belsky explained, “We are conducting anti-sabotage operations, checking every district in the city and the suburbs. It's difficult to monitor everything as many residents haven't left yet.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the reports.
Vitaly Ganchev, a Moscow-appointed official in Kharkov, claimed Russian advance units are in Kupyansk and “gradually pushing out Ukrainian forces.” Some Russian social media accounts subsequently shared images of soldiers and small carts inside narrow pipelines.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a map on 15/9 showing Russian forces controlling areas north and northwest of Kupyansk, with some units reportedly present in the city center the day before.
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Alleged image of Russian soldiers using a gas pipeline to approach Kupyansk. Image: X/stranaua |
Kupyansk is a strategically important transportation hub, connecting rail and road networks in northeastern Ukraine and forming part of Ukraine's key defensive line in Kharkov. Russia captured Kupyansk early in the conflict but lost it to a Ukrainian counteroffensive in late 2022.
Russian media suggest capturing Kupyansk would allow further westward advances. In late August, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said the Western Military District had almost completely encircled Kupyansk.
Thanh Danh (Via Kyiv Independent, RBC-Ukraine)
