800 Russian Soldiers Launch 'Operation Potok' Through Gas Pipeline, Targeting Sudzha in Kursk

Russian special forces have utilized a gas pipeline to launch a surprise attack on Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region, aiming to recapture areas previously seized by Ukraine. The operation, known as 'Operation Potok,' involved 800 soldiers who spent 4 days crawling through a defunct section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline, which was previously used to transport Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine. The troops covered a distance of 15 km inside the 1.4-meter wide pipeline. The attack targeted the town of Sudzha and its surrounding areas, where Ukrainian forces have been entrenched since an offensive last August. The Russian forces reportedly walked nine miles through the pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear, aiming to weaken Ukraine's hold on the region. Ukrainian military sources confirmed the attack, stating that their forces detected the Russian movement in time and responded with rocket and artillery strikes. The General Staff of Ukraine reported high enemy losses in the Sudzha area as a result of these countermeasures. The operation has been part of a broader Russian effort to push back Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, with reports indicating that Russian troops have made gains in several settlements, including Lebedevka village, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Kositsa, Martynovka, and Malaya Loknya. This comes amid ongoing tensions and military engagements along the border.