Russian forces have managed to break through Ukrainian defenses in the Kursk region through a unique underground operation in a disused gas pipeline. According to RT reports, 12 villages and over 100 square kilometers of territory have been recaptured in the last 24 hours, including the Sudzhya industrial zone. The Ukrainian army has been forced to retreat, as confirmed by the country’s commander-in-chief, General Aleksandr Syrsky.
The strategic turnaround is attributed to the secret Operation Potok, in which 800 Russian soldiers made their way 15 kilometers through an abandoned gas pipeline to catch Ukrainian forces by surprise. Through a pipeline only 1.4 meters high, the troops moved under extreme conditions for over four days.
Months of preparation
According to Russian reports, preparations took around four months. The aim was to use sabotage to force Ukrainian forces to retreat from Kursk towards Sudzhya, where Russian units were waiting. The operation, which started on March 1, began with soldiers crawling through the pipeline in small groups, equipped with oxygen tubes and protection against gas residues. Ventilation was drilled under the road with the help of Russian engineers, and wagons were used to transport water and equipment.
Military blogger Alexei Zhivov, a volunteer in the Española Brigade, notes that lessons learned from a similar operation in Avdeyevka (January 2024) were used.
Extreme challenges
– The first 72 hours were the worst. Lungs were burning, heads were bursting – then came the fever and hallucinations, says a former Wagner soldier, according to RT.
On March 8, when the soldiers emerged from the line and went on the offensive, there was a calamity on the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian forces were fired upon by artillery and drones during the retreat. Military expert Yevgeny Klimov explained to RT:
– The enemy started shelling the pipe with cluster munitions, but by then we had already secured the positions.
Final battle in Kursk close
According to retired captain Vasily Dandikin, quoted in the Russian media, the liberation of Kursk is only a matter of time:
– With rain coming, it will be difficult for the Ukrainians to maneuver. We are surrounding them now.
Among the retaken villages are Malaya Loknya and Martynovka.
Kursk has been described as a card that Zelensky could have used in a future peace negotiation with Russia. However, there are now strong indications that the conquest of the land is largely over and will return to Russian control.
