According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Sept. 21 update Russian forces have twice attempted to infiltrate Ukraine’s northern Sumy region through a major gas pipelinethat runs across the border from Russia’s Kursk region in the past ten days.
It is believedthe troops entered the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod close to the Russian city of Sudzha; the site of a gas exchange point that has been closed since shortly after the 2022 full-scaleinvasion of Ukraine.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The “Brotherhood” pipeline is a major 4,500-kilometer (2,800-mile) natural gas export 1,420 mm (56-inch) diameter pipeline that runs from Siberia’s Urengoy field through Russiaand Western Ukraine then to Central and Western Europe.
Ukrainian forces intercept Russian infiltrators
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s 8th Airborne Corps reported that Ukrainian forces had intercepted the first attempt on Sept. 12.
They said this involved a 10-man Russian “sabotage and reconnaissance group” which was ambushed by Ukrainian forces as they emerged from the pipeline on Ukrainian territory.
A day later another, larger platoon-sized Russian group emerged near the village of MalaKorchakivka, north of Sumy, the regional capital. Ukrainian troops said that in the subsequent engagement they had killed 29 Russian soldiers and wounded three.
ISW assessed that the attempted pipeline infiltrations were planned to disrupt Ukrainian defense t in advance of renewed Russian offensive operations along the northern Sumyfront, with two major attacks on Sept. 20 and 21. The report said these had failed to makeany meaningful progress.
Other Topics of Interest
Zelensky Condemns Delistings of Russian Oligarchs in Western Sanctions
Zelensky urged the EU to strengthen, not ease, sanctions against Russia as he met European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen during the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
A repeat of the previous pipeline tactic
This latest attempt is not the first example of Russian forces attempting to infiltrate and circumvent Ukrainian defensive positions using underground infrastructure.
In January 2024 soldiers from the Russian 60th Veterany Separate Assault Brigade usedpartially flooded drainage and sewer pipes to creep undetected into the Tsarskaya Okhotaarea in the southern outskirts of the city of Avdiivka. Although initially having gained afoothold the Russian forces were eventually dislodged following heavy fighting.
In March 2025 as Ukraine’s 8-month incursion and occupation of parts of the Kursk region neared its end, pro-Russian military bloggers reported that Russian special forces crept nearly 16 kilometers (10 miles) along the inside of the same gas pipeline. After spending several days in the pipe the Russian troops launched an assault on Ukrainian forces near the town of Sudzha. Following a major battle during which Ukraine attacked the infiltrators with rockets, artillery and drones forcing them to withdraw
A year ago Russian forces attempted to outflank Ukrainian positions in Kupyansk using an underground gas pipeline. According to a Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) source Moscow’s troops entered the “Soyuz” gas pipeline from a wooded area near Lyman Pershyi, traveled through the pipe for an estimated four days using electric scooters to exit the pipe near Radkivka, north of Kupyansk.
Ukraine’s 71st separate airmobile brigade said that, having discovered the plot and having waited until significant forces emerged, they attacked and blew up the pipeline, “eliminating” at least 40 Russian personnel and disabling the route.