Ukrainian forces have flooded a pipeline network used by Russian troops to infiltrate the strategic city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, according to a September 17 report by Business Insider, citing Yury Fedorenko, a commander in the 429th Separate Reconnaissance Drone Regiment.
"We targeted a section of the pipeline near the Oskil River, causing it to flood," Fedorenko said. "This will not completely prevent the enemy from restoring the pipeline, but we are closely monitoring the area."
Videos subsequently posted on social media accounts linked to the Ukrainian military show soldiers placing barbed wire and other obstacles inside pipelines, although the exact locations were not disclosed. Some sections appear to be mined.
These measures followed a report by DeepState, an open-source intelligence group linked to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, that Russian forces had used gas pipelines to cross the Oskil River and approach Kupyansk, establishing supply lines and a drone control center near the city.
On September 15, the Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that Russian troops had used pipelines near Kupyansk for infiltration. They stated that three of the four pipelines had been damaged and flooded, while the remaining one was under Ukrainian control.
Military experts believe this is the third time Russian forces have used this tactic of moving through water or gas pipelines to infiltrate Ukrainian lines. This poses a growing challenge to Ukrainian defensive efforts.
In March, Russian special forces used a gas pipeline to infiltrate Ukrainian positions in Sudzha, the largest town held by Kyiv during the Kursk offensive, facilitating its recapture by Moscow.
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Battlefield situation in Kupyansk as of September 14. Graphic: ISW |
In early 2024, Russian troops also drained a water pipeline to infiltrate the fortified city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. This tactic contributed to the Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka on 17/2/2024 "to preserve the lives of soldiers".
Kupyansk is a strategically important transportation hub, connecting rail and road networks in northeastern Ukraine, and is part of a key Ukrainian defense line in the Kharkiv region. Russia captured Kupyansk early in the conflict but was pushed back by a Ukrainian counteroffensive in late 2022.
Russian media suggest that capturing Kupyansk would allow their forces to advance further west. In late August, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that the Western Military District had almost completely encircled Kupyansk.
Nguyen Tien (According to Business Insider, AP, AFP)
